Blessed Beyond Necessity

 This morning I was sitting in church thinking about how hungry I was because I hadn't eaten breakfast. I was thinking about how uncomfortable I was and hoping that my stomach wouldn't growl and disturb the people next to me. I continued to grumble to myself and could not stop thinking about getting something to eat as SOON as the service was over.

 As I was feeling sorry for myself, a team of 5 people went up to the front and we were introduced as the ones who had gone from our church to Pokot, Africa to help dig wells for the community there. They talked about how the people of Pokot came from a history of going to raid and kill in neighboring villages because they had no water, and the only way they could get it, was to take it from their neighbors. A man who is from Kenya and the pastor of a church there, Pastor Eddie, began to talk about the living conditions in Pokot. How they would go sometimes 3-4 days with out eating because the land they lived in, Pokot, was so dry from no water, that there was no vegetation, there were no animals, no food.

 I instantly felt guilty. I wanted to cry. Here I am sitting in a heated church with padded pues complaining to myself because I missed one meal. Thinking about how hungry I was after going 10 hours with out eating when so many go for days not knowing when or if they will eat again. I live in a country where both obesity and eating disorders exist together. Where we have more food than anyone  could ever need for one meal, and people still obsess about their weight. I felt sick.

 So what can I do? Well, I'm starting with taking nothing for granted. I am blessed beyond necessity and I need to remind myself every day that I can eat whenever I'm hungry, and have water available any time I walk into the kitchen. I am done obsessing about my weight and am going to be thankful that I have more to me than just skin and bones. This Thanksgiving week I will be truly thankful for everything I have that I've been taking for granted. I will appreciate the feeling of hunger and let it be a reminder of how good I have it, and how much worse it could be. Thank you God for giving me the life I have, a husband who loves me, a job, food, clothing, a place to live, and so much more.

 Let's be thankful this week, and every week, for having the things we need, and then some.