Give a Little Thanks

In today's fast paced world, the simple things are often forgotten. You see, technological advances have made life more difficult in a way, all the while claiming to make it easier.

Seriously!! I mean think about it. Life these days is dependent upon computers. If the power goes out across a large area, life would slow down to a crawl in that area.

Society, as a whole, has begun to take modern conveniences for granted. Even when people go camping now a days to "get back to nature," at least one person will have a cell phone. That phone will, more than likely, have a mobile web browser. Couple that with GPS, satellite radio and entertainment systems in the vehicle and all you have is a portable electronic convenience center.

Now, think about the impact that this has on kids and teens. How many can you think of that would happily leave electronic gadgets alone for 24 hours? I will bet that you cannot think of very many, if any at all.

Okay, back to the simple things. I am not talking about leaving all of the modern technology behind. I am not downing the creators of these advances. I am simply saying that we should all remember the simple things.

Think about this: When is the last time that you thanked God, and I mean really thanked Him, for the trees or grass or water? Be honest. Those are the simple things that I am talking about.

People in general, myself included, tend to take these things for granted. We are quick to let God know what we 'need' and want. We ask Him and sometimes demand from Him the things we desire.

Now, think about all of the things that God has done for each of us. He gave us our freedom. He provides us with the necessities of life like food, water, clothing and shelter.

Is this enough for us? NOOOOOO, it is not. We are too greedy. We always want more.

God allows, yes ALLOWS, us to have extra luxuries, such as electricity, running water, comfortable clothes and nice homes. Some of us are fortunate enough to have good jobs and dependable transportation.

Are we happy about this? Of course not! We fuss about the things we want but don't have. We gripe about having to do our job. We complain about the cost of gas. We always want more for less.

Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that we should never want better things. I am saying that we all need to be more patient and less greedy, more considerate of our neighbors and less demanding, more thankful and less negative.

We ask God for all of these extra things. At the same time, we forget to thank Him for His wonderful creations. We neglect to truly thank Him for the sacrifices that He made for us.

Yes, God has made sacrifices for us. He allowed His own Son to die a painful death on the cross so that we can all live eternally with Him. His sacrifice allows our sins to be forgiven. If you ask me, that was the biggest sacrifice that was ever made.

So, the next time that you can't sleep at night, thank God for the little things. Think about the things that you take for granted and thank Him for them. Don't ask Him for anything, just thank Him. Thank Him for waking you up to spend time with Him instead of fussing about your lack of sleep.

Trust me, there is someone in the world who isn't as fortunate as you are!

Everyone wants to know the magical formula for living a happy life. Well, here it is.....Be thankful for everything, big and small. Dwell on the positives in your life instead of the negatives. Even the bad times will lead to good times eventually.

Smile and be thankful for your life!