A few days ago I was invited to a baby shower. My mother, who accompanied me to the shower, graciously offered to drive to our intended location. I was grateful since the venue was about an hour+ away, and I don't get a lot of "down" time.
As we traveled on the expressway and then through several neighborhoods, I started to think about what it was like for people living on the other side of this world. I thought about some of the Middle Eastern countries that primarly have landscapes of dirt roads, sand and little water. While thinking this, my mother drove over a bridge that canopied a healthy river that offers my state so much.
As we drove past a luscious forest preserve with all sorts of shrubbery, I realized that some areas in the world stuggle because their conditions do not produce many green plants. This then reminded me about the acres and acres of farmland nearby that produce bountiful crops of food for my family and others in our country to enjoy.
Then, I remembered a friend who served in the military. She once told me how valuable water was in the desert conditions she faced when oversees. Simple handy-wipes were more valuable than money since they were the only thing that kept you moderately clean, could fill-in as toilet paper, and traveled well. As the drive finally concluded, I found myself praising God for the many spring fed lakes that were within walking distance from my own home.
Yes, we are so blessed in North America.
When we got to the shower, we walked into a room filled with women from my family - most living similar lives. There was a huge buffet of food and a tiered cake that looked like it was made for a magazine photo shoot. With presents stacked as high as I stand - there were gifts to prepare the mother-to-be with everything she could ever need to care for her new infant. The room was esthetically glorious with all sorts of snazzy baby themed decor.
Then the Holy Spirit whispered His lesson one last time. "Some women in this world can't even feed their children much less clothe them." How blessed we are indeed.
Why do I share this with you, DW audience? Well, I think too often we forget how blessed we really are. We end up taking all these things for granted, always demanding to have more for ourselves. Always being selfish. God forgive us.
We don't thank Him enough for all the food, shrubbery, water and overall conditions we are blessed with in this nation. Please take time out to remember what our Creator and Provider has blessed you with personally.
For the Beauty of the Earth (Hymn)
For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.
For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.
For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and minds delight,
For the mystic harmony
Linking sense to sound and sight.
For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild.
For Thy Church, that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love.
For the martyrs crown of light,
For Thy prophets eagle eye,
For Thy bold confessors might,
For the lips of infancy.
For Thy virgins robes of snow,
For Thy maiden mother mild,
For Thyself, with hearts aglow,
Jesu, Victim undefiled.
For each perfect gift of Thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of Heaven.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.
Amen.
We are sooooo blessed. Thank you, dear Jesus!
~Victoria
Now that it's Saturday, I'd like to remind y'all who may be overwhelmed from this past busy week to take time out for rest. From the emails I continue to receive from all you wonderful folks, I'm certain that so many just need to stop, relax, and take a deep breath... choosing and learning to be still with the Lord.
