Life is a precious gift - a gift we often take for granted until it is threatened.
- Lecrae
Psalms of Delight...
Most of the Bible's Psalms give thanks to God on one or more levels. Commanded to do so, Christians aught to make the time to praise God for His glorious nature, creative genius and many gifts to mankind.
Psalms of Delight are written in concert with Psalms in the Night. Both series contain Modern Psalms meant to comfort and inspire those seeking the Omni-God revealed in Scripture.
Taken For Granted Summary
For decades I've studied thankfulness yet in many ways remain a poor student. Ironically, even knowing most the answers, I'm continually forced to repeat the course.
Still, I remain hopeful that in time I’ll be able to say with Paul that I've learned the secret of contentment while in the process of being a blessing to others.
Taken For Granted
Modern Psalm of Delight 7
Does it concern You that we take so much for granted, including taking for granted that we do? Is it simply apathy and entitlement or has being inundated with images and video driven us blind? Are we shell shocked from global coverage of suffering and social injustice. Do we have outrage fatigue or even spiritual PTSD?
Whatever the cause, the pictures and stories of war and poverty, illness and disease, pain and death are little more than vague backdrops behind the hustle and bustle of modern life. Busy with our agendas, we take little notice of the pitiful pictures and sound bites sadly limping by to God knows where. Aloof from the difficult and even desperate lives of billions, their plight hold little daily interest beyond social commentary describing humanitarian wallpaper.
Unless you happen to be one of the thousands of millions living the nightmare. One of the endless casualties of humanity. A malnourished child with few chances. An impoverished teen with few options. A war torn family without a present and less of a future. Our apathy makes me fear for us. I fear we've more in common with the Rich Man in the story of Lazarus than the Good Samaritan. I fear that even though You've warned us, as in the Rich Young Ruler and the Sheep and the Goats we may be among the shocked to find that what we failed to do to the least we failed to do to You.
It must wound You that we take so much for granted since doing so wounds both others and ourselves. And by we, I do mean me. I apologize for a lifetime of doing so with no end in sight, since unfortunately being aware of problem does little to changes things. The self-centering of Me-ism has a subtle, common sense inertia that's hard to notice and harder to overcome.
Continually telling ourselves a story, apathy does make a compelling argument. What can one person do anyway? Honestly, not much. But then we aren't just persons. We're people. People taking a lot for granted. As a person I can do little. As people, there's little we can't do. If we really wanted to. God help us, if just what the U.S. and Europe spend annually on alcohol we could end hunger and provide basic sanitation and education worldwide what could the funds spent on illegal drug abuse, much less beating our swords into plowshares and redirecting some of military budgets do?
Not caring enough changes, or fails to change, much. Even us. Feeding the original sin of entitlement, disinterest encourages our habit of taking things for granted. Unable to imagine myself and family trading places with those in dire circumstances makes me less likely to lend a hand and less thankful for what I have. A couple of the reasons why You direct:
- “Stay on good terms with each other, held together by love. Be ready with a meal or a bed when it's needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it! Regard prisoners as if you were in prison with them. Look on victims of abuse as if what happened to them had happened to you." Hebrews 13:2-3 MSG
I am thankful. Thankful for electricity and indoor plumbing. For refrigerators and freezers, stoves and ovens microwaves and dishwashers, washers and dryers. Thankful for heaters and coolers, windows and carpets, pots and knives, metal and plastics. Thankful for cars and planes, computers and smart phones, TV and music, the internet and art. Thankful for education and health care, community and social services, modern employment and retirement, police and the justice system…
Yet while my mind agrees my hard heart remains largely unconvinced. Worry and want daily pollute gratitude and appreciation. While thankful for a soft and firm, warm and cool bed and bedding, I awake to worry and regret, frustrated and angry over past losses and what today, much less tomorrow may bring.
Open our eyes to all we have to be thankful for. Give us hearts willing to share and love our neighbor as ourselves. Explain what happiness really means. Help us delight in creation’s beauty. Show us the glory You've reserved for those who've learned it's more blessed to give than to receive.
At the very least, help me remember that while I'm not doing near as well as I hoped, my family and I could be living in a time, place or circumstance with far worse conditions. Tens of billions have and are.
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