Sunday, November 27, 2011

What are you thankful for?

This long weekend here in the States, besides being shopping madness, is Thanksgiving. Technically that was Thursday, but sometimes it takes awhile for things to get back to normal and for some retrospection to begin. I was pondering what we in our first world lives should be thankful for that they don't have or can't imagine in Uganda... So here's a quick, partial list.

* Plentiful, stable, electricity for all.
* Clean running water that can be drunk from any faucet anywhere.
* Toilets with sewers or septic.


* Air conditioning and heat.
* Well maintained, open roads where people drive in their own lane, obey stop signs and traffic lights, and stay more than an inch or two from your vehicle.
* Exhaust systems on vehicles, especially those in front of you!

* Police officers who don't stop you for a bribe because they need tea, but who do their sworn duty to protect and defend.


* The best medical care in the world.

My son's hospital room at IHK - they were nice and he got well, but it wasn't at all modern.

* Having more than one pair of shoes, especially when doing sports.


*Trash collection.
* Proper handling of meat for sale.


* Babies not left to die.



Are you feeling like your life is too hard these days? A lot of people are, I know. And compared with what you've been used to, it might be. But take a few minutes, just these few, to get a little perspective. We are so blessed here... Beyond the imagining of the people in these photographs. That is enough to feel thankful for.





1 comment:

  1. Thank you for your comment on my blog. Your latest post here sure does put things in perspective. Consumerism (obnoxiously) alive in America means that we are a wealthy nation. And inevitably, it does come down to our choices... what will we do with our "wealth"? Are our needs truly needs? What are we willing to sacrifice so that others can just have the ability to live? And - unless we embrace that materialistic mindset, we don't have to be "slaves" to it. There are so many other options. (Hence Jesus' command to not conform to the world, but be transformed). :) Thanks again for stopping by. Good to "meet" you.

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