Driving with the windows down, sunroof open, sister in the passenger seat & singing as loud as possible to Dave Barnes or Taylor Swift. A beautiful Carolina day at the driving range, capped off with a dinner with my Dad. Snuggling with my puppy and a great movie on a rainy Saturday night. Family cookouts at my parents' houses, hanging outside on the patio for hours after we've finished a meal. The smile that wrinkles the eyes of someone special in my life.
These are the simple things that make me grateful for my life. Just a few, honestly if I wrote them all we'd both be here for awhile! But I want you to see that there are things in life that are positive, even in the midst of pain that can seem insurmountable.
I'll make no secret about the fact that I dislike our government, I dislike our President, our elected officials, and most of the people running this country. I think this country is long overdue for the repercussions of some of the choices that we've made... making abortion legal, allowing stem cell research, and yes- even gay marriage. I disagree with all of these things. The stimulus plan? The "budget" for the federal government? Come on. A two year old could make more sense than these people do. The DOW plunging and peaking every other day, playing hacky-sack with the life savings of thousands of fiscally responsible American's 401k and retirement funds... an appeasement approach to foreign affairs (has never worked, will never work). Hundreds of thousands of hard-working American workers told not to bother coming into work.
Yes, this is a difficult time.
But it is NOT the end of the world.
Do you have air in your lungs? Do you have clean clothing that fits that lays upon your back? Can you get up from an air-conditioned room and walk into ANOTHER room to your fridge for a snack? How about going outside and going to church in public? Maybe capping that off with a lunch at your favorite restaurant? When you're home, you put pocket change into a secret stash? Well, if you can do any of these things, you're in the top 1% of the world. The WORLD. Count yourself as absolutely blessed, but don't feel guilty for what you have. Just be thankful.
In the midst of everything we struggle with these days- jobs, family, relationships, money, health... in the end, things aren't that bad. Think about the things that you love to do with your time. Do you volunteer? Do you call up a friend and grab coffee? Maybe you stretch your muscles and go for a nice, long run. Well, as long as we can still do these simple things in life, we're going to be okay.
I want to challenge you. Seriously, bare with me. Go grab a sheet of paper and a pen. And think about five things that you can do now that you really enjoy. Just 5 things. I'll share one of mine with you: I can go to church and praise Jesus Christ without the fear of being imprisoned or killed. That's a huge thing to me. What are yours? - list them out, and the next time CNN or MSNBC tries to tell you that the world is ending, *pull out the list.* Read it out loud. And be thankful that you can do those things.
It's the simple things in life that make me enjoy my time on this earth the most. My family, my friends, my dog... I may not have much, but I have people that love me and a lot of huge blessings in my life. I'm sure you do, too-
So go out and enjoy them. Turn off the news, go grab a fresh breath of air from your doorstep, and cherish this day we've been given. Because after all, sometimes all it takes is to look through the shadows to see the light.
Parting thought:
Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with Grace, Strength, Courage, and Confidence - Og Mandino
Talk soon.
*Photo above used with permission from MC Photography*
Love you, Kim!
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