Blessed

Have you ever sat back, took a deep breath, and realized how blessed you are? I mean, look around you. Look where you live. Look at your clothes, your food, your clean skin. Then look towards the sky and say “Thank you”. We are so incredibly blessed to live in such a rich, 1st World country. God could have just as easily placed us in a country like Rwanda where water is contaminated with parasites, toilets are a hole in the ground (not to mention no toilet paper), showers are nonexistent, and a meal with meat is rare. I cannot express how grateful I am to God for giving me much more than I need. I cannot express how good we have it. I cannot express how much my heart aches for these people. I can, however, express that we are all God’s children, and we all need love. God sent Jesus Christ to die for all of us, and because of that, we can all rejoice.
My favorite song is “Blessed Be Your Name” because it tells us that no matter what we are going through, be it good or bad, we can and should praise God. We are living so comfortably here in Kibogora in gated community, with people literally right outside the gates with nothing, yet we don’t see the need to thank God for all He has provided to us. Blessed be His name for giving us so much, for allowing us to be born in a country with opportunity and wealth. On Sundays, even though they lack material items and hygiene, the Rwandans praise God. They thank Him for what they do have. I don’t know how sincere they are, but at least from the outside, it looks genuine, beautiful. 
One verse in “Blessed Be Your Name” says, “Every blessing You pour out/
I'll turn back to praise/When the darkness closes in, Lord/ Still I will say/ Blessed be the name of the Lord.” That is what I see when I watch the Rwandans worship.  They praise God for what they have, and even though they have seen darkness, they still say, “blessed be the name of the Lord”. I think we can learn from these people more than they can learn from us. So let me ask you again, have you ever sat back, took a deep breath, and realized how blessed you are? If you haven’t, maybe you should. It can change your view on life.

PS- Happy Valentine's Day