Little Jack's CornerThe Life & Times of Jack-Evan and Family

I didn’t originally have this as a “Thankful Thursday” 
But I happened to notice it coincided quite nicely,
and wanted to share it on the Thankful Thursday weekly site.
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Are you thankful for things in your life?  Really, truly, absolutely thankful?

From the Merriam-Webster Online:

thank·ful 

Pronunciation:

\ˈthaŋk-fəl\

Function:

adjective

Date:

before 12th century

1 : conscious of benefit received <for what we are about to receive make us truly thankful>

2 : expressive of thanks <thankful service>

3 : well pleased : glad <was thankful that it didn’t rain>

— thank·ful·ness noun

  As you wake up in the morning, are you conscious of benefits you have received?  Are you well pleased with your life?  Do you let those you love and others around you know of your thankfulness?

1. The right to elect the officials of my country.   I may not always agree with what they say, but at least I know that if they make an error, the public vote will ensure they will not be put back into office.  I may not be the smartest cookie out there, but I do know I wouldn’t want to live in a country where I had no say in the officials and laws placed over me.
2. The ability to walk into Walmart and purchase a peach.   Or a book.  Or a can of soup.   Being able to purchase anything is a great feeling.  Having currency freely coming into my household is an even greater feeling. 
3. Not worrying about starvation.  Honestly, the thought never even crosses my mind – yet millions of people all over the world starve each day.  It is a blessing beyond belief to have full access to food and clean water.  Google Somalia if you don’t feel blessed with abundant food.
4. The bonds of kinship.  I am blessed with a large extended family with whom I am in regular touch with.  They are my source of all that is humanly good.  We laugh together, cry together, and conspire together.  My husband, my son, my parents, my husband’s parents, my husband’s siblings, my aunts and uncles, my cousins – they all bring color to my life, and I love them with my very soul.
5. Motherhood.  To look at a child and realize that he gained life within your own body is a breathtaking moment.  To look at a child and realize he will remember you as “mama” when he himself is 80 years old is earth shattering.  It makes you want to examine yourself deeply so that no sin in your life will harm him in the future.  Everything you say and do for the rest of your life will have an inpact on him – and consequently, on every successive generation.  It’s enough to scare the panties off of many people.  Yet it’s our highest and most noble calling.
6. The fact that our constitution allows freedom of religion.   There are countries out there where people are turtured and brutally murdered for expressing their faith in God.  Here in my city, I can ride down the street with 10 different translations of the Bible in my car, at 10 AM on a Sunday morning, on my way to a public worship service at our church.  I’m really not sure if I would be strong enough to withhold torture – as much as I hate to admit it, I’m much afraid that I’m not cut from a martyr’s mold.  Pain just does not bode well for me!  I’m beyond thankful that I do not have to worry about torture or pain when I choose to worship Christ.
7. Utilities.   Yes, utilities.  I flick a switch and light appears.  I twist a knob and clean, fresh drinking water appears.  If you do not think much of utilities and clean water, google up the aftermath of Katrina or any of the recent earthquakes around the world.
8. Not knowing what poverty means.  In America today, “poor” more often than not means families with no cable TV and children who do not get designer goods during the school year.  While I’ve known America’s “poor”, I have never known poverty.  And as long as I have $1 and a McDonalds nearby, I never will.  Compared to many of the world’s countries, I live in a castle and feast on a banquet table daily.
9. My servants.  And yes, I have many.  The dishwasher, electric stove, toaster oven, refrigerator, freezer, washing machine, dryer, iron, steam mop, motorized vaccuum, bathtub, shower stall, toilet, SUV, running water, light bulbs, modern plumbing, electrical wires, shingles, 1150 sq. feet of living space, modern siding, insulation, glass windows, air ducts for ventilation, clean flooring, air condition, heater, ceiling fan, cell phone, house phone, TV, radio, laptop, broadband, and dish network satellite, to name a few.  In other words, I’m spoiled in comparison to 90% of the world population. 
10. Public Libraries.  I believe that education is very empowering, and I also believe that one should never stop trying to learn new things.  Being able to walk into a building and remove any book on practically any subject, and read it for free, is something I am overwhelmingly thankful for.