I’ve been thinking about my blog entries and as I’ve thought about them, it seems like I lament a lot. So, I wanted to write a more upbeat entry, because if you know me, you know that I enjoy life and I laugh a lot (a whole lot). In some ways, my thoughts and my personality have intensified over time. And, that ultimately stems from a heightened desire to please God in my actions and to see the world around me changed for the better. But, in all that intensity, I’m still a happy, joyful, upbeat person. So, what I want to proclaim today is that I am blessed beyond all measure and in more ways than can be enumerated. God has given us more than we need for every situation. It’s just like his name says of him Jehovah Jireh, he’s all we need, a great provider. Yes, I am blessed! I praise God for that because I am truly grateful! I never want to stop praising him and blessing his name for all he is and all he's done!
Gravy
So, here’s the lament part of this, but it’s really not a lament. It’s an encouragement or maybe even an admonishment to myself and others. Recently, I was sitting around the table with a bunch of folks. And, we were talking about our annual performance incentive and how we performed in 2010. Well, it turns out that we had the worst year ever as an operating company (by far). And, in the room that I was in, nobody was complaining because the year ended better than we thought it would. But, like everything for the few that are happy to just to get something there are many more that complain about the goals that were in place that prevented us from having the highest achievable incentive. But, as I sat and thought about the whole thing, I said [to myself], “This is gravy! As a matter of fact, it’s all gravy. Half the world lives on two dollars a day. Anything beyond that is gravy. “ In a subsequent conversation, I did share that with someone, and he said, “My friend if you roll out of bed in the morning, the rest of the day is gravy, forget about making one red cent. Living life is gravy.” So, I’m blessed.
So, here’s the lament part of this, but it’s really not a lament. It’s an encouragement or maybe even an admonishment to myself and others. Recently, I was sitting around the table with a bunch of folks. And, we were talking about our annual performance incentive and how we performed in 2010. Well, it turns out that we had the worst year ever as an operating company (by far). And, in the room that I was in, nobody was complaining because the year ended better than we thought it would. But, like everything for the few that are happy to just to get something there are many more that complain about the goals that were in place that prevented us from having the highest achievable incentive. But, as I sat and thought about the whole thing, I said [to myself], “This is gravy! As a matter of fact, it’s all gravy. Half the world lives on two dollars a day. Anything beyond that is gravy. “ In a subsequent conversation, I did share that with someone, and he said, “My friend if you roll out of bed in the morning, the rest of the day is gravy, forget about making one red cent. Living life is gravy.” So, I’m blessed.
Comforts and Luxuries vs. Survival
Now back to this two dollars a day business… We need a car. Well, according to middle class American standards, we need a car. We have two old cars…one that’s twelve years old and one that seven years old. The twelve year old car runs a little sluggish and it leaks multiple kinds of fluid. The shocks are shot and it sometimes scrubs the ground. It creaks and rattles as I roll along. And, it has 170,000+ miles on the odometer and we take it to the shop and spend several hundred dollars on it at least twice a year. So, I hope I’ve drummed up sympathy for our plight here. And, if you know us, you know we Dave Ramsey disciples as far as not adding on debt goes anyway. So, we’ll pay cash for a gently used car one day. But, I don’t think that day is today. Unless the twelve year old dies and few hundred dollars want fix it’s death, we won’t be getting a “newer” car. And, here’s the reason. I’ve been reading about Haitians that walk for hours to get their sick family members to a clinic for treatment of cholera. And, I’ve actually been to Belize with a medical team where people walked for miles and miles just to see American doctors that were treating minor ailments. If the people in these two countries have cars they are most likely older than the ones we have and leaking a lot more fluid than the ones we have. So, what I’m saying is middle class America leads us to revel in comforts and luxuries while the rest of the world is just trying to survive. I for one want to change that. I want to acknowledge that I am blessed and then use what I have to bless others and help them transform their lives… pulling them back from the brink of both spiritual and physical death.
Now back to this two dollars a day business… We need a car. Well, according to middle class American standards, we need a car. We have two old cars…one that’s twelve years old and one that seven years old. The twelve year old car runs a little sluggish and it leaks multiple kinds of fluid. The shocks are shot and it sometimes scrubs the ground. It creaks and rattles as I roll along. And, it has 170,000+ miles on the odometer and we take it to the shop and spend several hundred dollars on it at least twice a year. So, I hope I’ve drummed up sympathy for our plight here. And, if you know us, you know we Dave Ramsey disciples as far as not adding on debt goes anyway. So, we’ll pay cash for a gently used car one day. But, I don’t think that day is today. Unless the twelve year old dies and few hundred dollars want fix it’s death, we won’t be getting a “newer” car. And, here’s the reason. I’ve been reading about Haitians that walk for hours to get their sick family members to a clinic for treatment of cholera. And, I’ve actually been to Belize with a medical team where people walked for miles and miles just to see American doctors that were treating minor ailments. If the people in these two countries have cars they are most likely older than the ones we have and leaking a lot more fluid than the ones we have. So, what I’m saying is middle class America leads us to revel in comforts and luxuries while the rest of the world is just trying to survive. I for one want to change that. I want to acknowledge that I am blessed and then use what I have to bless others and help them transform their lives… pulling them back from the brink of both spiritual and physical death.
Conclusion of the matter
I am blessed. We are all blessed. Even people in America that make the 10 or 12000 thousand dollars it takes to be at the poverty line are blessed. We are all waking up in the mornings and we have far surpassed the $2/day mark. We have access to the best health care in the world. Almost all of America has clean drinking water which solves most of the world’s disease problems. Folks, we are blessed. So, let’s connect our blessings with those in need. Give your heart, your time, and your financial resources to change the life of another person for the better.
I am blessed. We are all blessed. Even people in America that make the 10 or 12000 thousand dollars it takes to be at the poverty line are blessed. We are all waking up in the mornings and we have far surpassed the $2/day mark. We have access to the best health care in the world. Almost all of America has clean drinking water which solves most of the world’s disease problems. Folks, we are blessed. So, let’s connect our blessings with those in need. Give your heart, your time, and your financial resources to change the life of another person for the better.
Much love.
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