Where are my blessings?

After viewing this video, I couldn’t resist clucking my tongue and make that sound of regret—“Tsk, tsk, tsk …”

The video shows a man getting ready to sleep. He sadly mumbles, “Lord, I’m struggling. Show me what I still have to be thankful for.” Then he pulls up the bedsheet and sleeps.

The next morning, he rises at the sound of his alarm clock.  He can move. He forgets that some people have remained paralyzed.

He rubs his eyes and yawns. He can see. He forgets about the blind man begging outside the church.

He washes his face. Oh, there’s clean running water—lots of it. Some people have to carry water pails for 100 meters or wait for the water to drip from their faucets.

He dons his office clothes. He has plenty of clothes. Some children are sleeping naked in the street.

He prepares breakfast. He’s never gone hungry. Some people are lucky enough to eat once a day.

The man goes out of his house and locks the door. He has shelter. Others lie down in cold cement.

He gets into his car and drives out. Some people walk the whole day peddling their wares, hoping to earn something for the day.

He goes down from his car and walks to his office. He walks with no pain. Others are strapped to a wheelchair and wince at the slightest movement.

He saunters to the pantry and gets a cup of coffee. He can drink this every day. Some people can’t even have a glass of water to drink.

The man opens his computer and starts to work. He has a job, he is skilled and he can read. Some struggle to get an education and others try not to wallow in self-pity after being denied work at countless times.

He exchanges stories and jokes with people in the office. He has friends. Some people live alone far from civilization.

He gets a call from his mother and father. He has a family who loves him. Others don’t know who their parents are or feel ignored even if they live with them.

After work, the man goes to the gym and works out. He has a healthy heart. Some people constantly complain of chest pains and fears that the next heart attack will be their last.

He goes home, changes clothes and gets into bed. He’s still sad as he mumbles again, “Lord, I’m struggling. Show me what I still have to be thankful for.” And he pulls up the bed sheet and sleeps.

Tsk … tsk … tsk. It’s sad he still looks for God’s blessings after one day of life that God gifted him. How could he take for granted daily the little things in him and around him?

Are you like this man?

L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux—“One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”—famous line of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in his best-selling book “The Little Prince.”

The blessings we want are actually in us and around us. You may not see them because you ignore them. But they are the essentials; not just the important things but the essential things we already have. We need not look beyond for the grandest things. We just have to first be thankful for the things right under our very noses!

Even not having everything we desire is already something to thank for. Imagine if we have all that we want, what would there be to look forward to?

An anonymous author once wrote that we must be thankful for lacking knowledge because this gives us an opportunity to learn …be thankful for the difficult and challenging times because it’s when we can build our strength and character … be thankful for our weaknesses because they give us the chance to improve … be thankful for our mistakes because they teach us valuable lessons … give thanks for being tired and weary because it means we’ve exerted effort … and  be thankful for troubles because they can become our blessings. “Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.”

So before pulling up your bedsheet tonight, don’t keep asking God to show you where the blessings are. “Our task is to express God’s gifting with all we have.”

Take time to see how richly and abundantly God has already blessed you today. Start counting.