Things I Never Want To Take For Granted

Recently, I tried to thank someone who had helped me. I offered him some of my hand made items because cash for tips is non-existent. His reaction surprised me – he took one set of hanging towels because his roommate would like them. And then he said, “I can’t take anything else from you – you don’t even have running water, for Pete’s sake!”

It made me sound rather pathetic and I had to smile inside. That’s because I feel anything but pathetic.

Oh, I know that the broken pipes under the old mobile home must be replaced as quickly as I can find the resources. But I do have an inside shut off valve someone installed for me. And I seem to have the patience to keep turning it on and then off when I need to flush, wash dishes, rinse produce, shower – whatever.

The thing is – I have friends who are so much more in need of sympathy and prayer than I am.

Take the matter of cars. It’s is easy for me to get something at the store when I find the funds. I get into my old, but still running, car. But I have one friend who has only one leg, no car, and a not-always-running power chair which must be ridden out of the MH park, around the corner, loaded onto the bus, off at the store, and reversed to come back home. I have another friend who no longer has a car because of a horrendous auto accident a little earlier in the year. She needs to depend on a little disability scooter or rides from friends or loved ones. My car must seem like a luxury to them.

Or take the matter of rest. I can often feel stress building but when it does, I have the freedom to take a deep breath, say a wee prayer, and crash for 15 to 30 minutes on the couch or lift chair, to re-charge. But I have another friend who is 24/7 caregiver to an elderly mother. This is stressful and draining on its own, as any caregiver or former caregiver (like me), can tell you. She has no little chunks of time to rest. And she is also dealing with her own medical issues.

There are so many stories like this, so many real life examples of folks worse off than I am.

Lord Jesus, help me to always be appreciative of what I have and to recognize the needs of others. If I am unable to help them directly, fill me with the grace to at least say a prayer for them.