Thank You…for what I already have!

During Thanksgiving, and as many people rush to do their holiday shopping on “Black Friday,” it’s good to take a moment to slow down and remember how much we already have to be thankful for.

I’d like to share the following “rags to riches” story with you (originally shared by Dan Asmussen on Facebook). I invite you to meditate on it!

One day, a very wealthy father took his son on a trip to the country to show him how poor people lived. They spent several days there on a farm with a family who didn’t have much to offer them.

When they returned home, the father asked his son:

“Did you like the trip?”

“Oh yes, very much, dad!”

“Did you see how poor people live?”

“Yes!” the son answered.

“So what did you learn from the trip?”

The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog, and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden, and they have a creek to swim in that has no end. We have lanterns in our garden, and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard, and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on, and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them.”

The boy’s father was speechless.

The son added, “Dad, thanks for showing me what it really means to be rich.”

What is worthless to one person is another’s treasure! It’s all based on perspective.

For you, what are true riches? Goods, objects, possessions, etc….or rather relationship with God, peace with yourself, friendship with others, etc.?

Comparison kills contentment, as the expression goes. Too often, we forget the real treasures and instead mope about what we don’t have and what we’d like to possess.

The Bible says, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” (1 Timothy 6:6-8).

Contentment and gratitude are two fundamental values in the Kingdom of God that are so important to live out each day! While God desires to fulfill our needs, we all still need to learn to be satisfied with what we have today.

I encourage you to be thankful to God for everything He’s already given you. Remember…“His divine power has given to you all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him!” (the Bible, 2 Peter 1:3).