“Each day He provides for all our needs." ~ Psalm
103:5
Some call them geezers; behind the
times, unfashionable, no longer cool.
Like two bookends, the two old friends sat quietly on the park bench
enjoying a game of chess. They didn’t
keep score. They just kept each other
company.
Like many from their era, their kind was easy to spot. During the playing of the National Anthem, they
held their caps over their hearts and sang without embarrassment. They knew the words and believed in them.
Their friendship spanned many decades. They remembered World War I, the Depression,
Pearl Harbor, D, V-E and V-J Days.
Things like boob tubes, thongs and pigs all had different meanings in
their time. Socks Hops were fun, leaded
gas was cheap, and gay meant happy back in their day.
They rarely spoke to each other, but today was
different. Al could tell that something
was bothering his old pal; Bud appeared to be unusually depressed. Bud asked, “What’s wrong my friend, you seem
to be on the verge of tears?”
“I’m sorry to hear about your loss,” said Al. “But that’s a mighty nice gesture on his
part.”
“It gets worse,” Bud interjected. “Two weeks ago, a cousin I
never even knew died, and left me eighty-five thousand dollars, tax-free.”
“Sounds to me like you’ve been incredibly blessed?” Al probed.
“You don’t understand!” Bud interrupted. “Last week my neighbor passed away. She left me her 1964 Eldorado Cadillac. It’s in pristine condition.”
Al was totally confused.
“Then, why do you look so gloomy?”
“This week . . . I
got nothing!”
That’s the problem with receiving something on a regular
basis. Even if it’s a gift, we eventually
come to expect it. If we receive perks
long enough, our natural tendency is to view them as entitlements. We feel hurt, even angry, if we stop
receiving them.
It is the same way with the blessings God gives us every
day. I don’t deserve the comfortable
home that I live in, the beautiful scenery around me, the clean water I
drink. But after receiving these gifts
(and a horde of others) for years, I sometimes forget to be thankful. I’ve come to expect these good things. And when one of them is removed even for a
short time (like water or electricity or the internet going down), I get upset.
On this Thanksgiving Day, let’s drop our take-it-for-granted
attitude and our sinful pride, and recognize that everything we have is really
a gift from God. Join King David today
in the first few verses of Psalm 103 to praise Him and “Count Our Blessings!”
Dear Lord, when I have food, help me remember the hungry; when I have
work, help me remember the jobless; when I have a place to sleep, let me
remember the homeless, and when I’m in pain, help me remember those who suffer.
Amen
