Thankful for what????

The view from my lunch table shows the fall leaves changing colors. 

"What a wonderful thing it is to spend a solid hour just being thankful.  It throws all of life into a new perspective." -David Wilkerson, author of The Cross and the Switchblade

All of the sweet moments I write about are things that I am thankful for.  The phrasing may be different, but the idea is the same.  When I first read this quote I thought I would sit down and spend one full hour writing out a list.  Shortly into that process I realized that my list was going to be so long that no one would take the time to read it.  I stopped writing my list down (didn't want to get writers cramp), but I did spend my whole lunch hour thinking about how blessed my life is.

It's so easy to get depressed when I think about those weeks where we struggle to pay our bills, but then I realize how lucky I am to have those bills.  Yes, I just said that I am lucky to have bills!  I may struggle to make that house payment one month, but I am able to make it happen and that means I have a house - my very own house!  I have a wonderful 3 bedroom house with electricity and running water.  I have indoor plumbing with not one, but two toilets.  I have food on my table every day, even if it isn't what I really want, at least I have something to eat.  I have clothes in my closet and although they have been mended and patched back together over and over, they still keep me warm.  I have a job that provides me with enough money to have these luxuries in my life. 

How many people in the world, in the United States, in your town, or even on your street are struggling to provide those same items for their families?  There have been several foreclosures in my neighborhood in the past year.  How many people on my very own street were struggling to keep their house while I was adding a deck onto the back of mine? 

On my street: I am thankful that I am able to keep my house

In my town: I am thankful that I live very close to my family and my church

In the United States: I am thankful to have a job in these tough times when so many have lost theirs.

In the world: I am thankful and so blessed to be living a life where I have choices.  I get to choose my food, my house, tap water or bottled water (tap please), my medical care...  I even get to choose what toilet I want!

Today's sweet moment came from reading the blog 52 Beginnings and being reminded to stop and think about everything I have to be thankful for.  If you can't take an hour, then take 30 minutes, or 15 and write down as many things to be thankful for as you can in that time frame.  How long is your list?