Grateful
I had a strange, strange experience today. After waiting in line for gas with a cranky toddler in tow, I dropped her off at her Grammy's so I could embark on the next big adventure of stocking up before the next big storm hit our already devastated area. As I pushed the cart in and out of the aisles an over-whelming feeling came over me that caused me to stop right there, by the canned tomatoes.
I have had many experiences like this at the grocery store. The tension in my chest, the dread as I place another item in the cart. I could audibly hear the ring of my credit card debt racking up with each yogurt I took off of the shelf. After check-out, I have often cried at how much a gallon of milk cost. A loaf of bread.
Today, as I walked through the grocery store that has just opened after a week of being out of power, I cried with gratefulness.
I am so grateful that my family is safe. My house, for whatever reason, was left undamaged. Our rooms are warm. My fridge is now full. I am blessed to be in a position to drive my car to a store, purchase items that we need to eat, and drive home to a house that still stands. Most people, across the world, with or without a hurricane, cannot say that.
I cried with the reality of that. Of how much we have. Too much. And how little we are often thankful for things we expect are owed to us.
We aren't owed a thing. Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father, and if He blesses you with more than you need, it was with the intention that you give it to others. I have often felt the strain of what I believed to have been the result of not having enough. What an ache in my heart when it became apparent, especially this week, what a falsehood that is!
Nearly embarrassing.
Take the time to be grateful today for what you have, and if you have extra, help those near you.