Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18ESV
Having a childhood is often something we take for granted. Especially here in the West. I’ve recently been watching a lot of videos of different people traveling through Asia and so many times they pass these small children 9, 10, 11 years old out walking the streets selling food or flowers. They have such a huge responsibility at such a young age. They don’t know the privilege of complaining about having to go to school or do simple chores before going outside to play with friends. They don’t know what it’s like to create a Christmas list or Birthday list. They don’t know what it’s like to just be a kid and not have all of these different responsibilities. Not have the stress of helping your family pay bills by sacrificing your childhood so that you can be out in the hot sun selling all day.
When we live in our own little world and not look at the world around us, it’s easy to be consumed by our own problems. Our own issues. Our own difficulties, which I’m not downplaying at all because they are real, but if we just looked at the world around us, we’d see how blessed we truly are. See, we even in the struggle and trial, we still have more, here in the West, than they do over there in a lot of those Asain nations. We have opportunity. And because we have opportunity, we have hope. It’s not common for a small child to not be in school and instead work all day here in the West. That in itself is a blessing.
Yes, we have trials and tribulations here. It’s not all peaches and roses 24/7, but we have so much that the rest of the world doesn’t. And the moment we begin to see that and acknowledge that, the less those trials and tribulations will keep us down. The more grateful and thankful a heart is, the more easily it can handle hardship and power through to the other side.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Grateful Here.