I Don't Know What I Have Until It's Gone

There's a scripture about how sometimes we have to be compelled to be humble, but I think gratitude goes along with that. You're never so grateful for something as you are when it's gone. It's kind of sad that we have to be compelled to be grateful, but that's part of human nature that we have to work to overcome.

On Saturday, I went to the gas station, used my credit card in the machine, and put the pump in my gas tank. But nothing came out. I thought maybe it was just a problem with the pump, so I released the trigger and pulled it again. I held it down and gasoline started to trickle into my tank at the rate of about .01 gallons per second. After I had $.07 worth of gas, I gave up and went inside to ask if there was a problem. But when I got to the door, I found that the gas station was closed. Not just like they were on a break - there were no snacks on the shelf, no drinks in the coolers.

As I stood there, the realization hit me that gas doesn't grow on trees. As silly as it is to think that it would, that's not far off from my belief system most of the time. The fact is that there's no guarantee that we will always be able to fill our tanks. After a recent hurricane in the Southeast, gas lines were shut down and people drove from station to station trying to find someplace that actually had gas in the tanks. It's a good thing that could never happen where I live, right? :P

How much do we take for granted every day, without a second thought? Every time I jump in my car to run to the store or pick my kids up from school, I start the car and drive away with no thought that I should actually be grateful for my ability to do so.

So I was talking to my children yesterday about why we fast. I don't always think about this aspect of it, but part of the reason, I think, is to make us grateful that we have food to eat. I take it for granted that every time I go to the cupboard, there will be food there. And, further, I take for granted the fact that if there isn't food, I can run to the store (with the gas I take for granted in my car), and buy food at the store. But none of those things are a given. All these things are incredible blessings.

As I neared the end of my fast yesterday, I started to feel very hungry. (Who didn't, right?) :) I kept thinking, "I've fasted long enough. I think I'll make dinner early today because I really just am so hungry. I'm sure the Lord doesn't expect me to go /this/ long without food." And then I would remind myself that some people feel that hungry almost every day. How can I feel sorry for myself when I'm so blessed?

So today, I'm trying to take notice of everything I usually take for granted. Clean water straight out of my tap at the simple turn of a knob. Light from the ceiling when I flip a little switch on the wall. A computer to type on and connect with my friends with. The ability to call my husband on his way to drop off the kids at school to remind him of something. A washing machine, TV, food in the freezer, clean bathroom facilities right in my house. My health, sight, hearing, mobility. Healthy children. Music in my car.

I wish I could say I'm not taking anything for granted, but even now, I'm sure there are a myriad of things I haven't even noticed that are blessings. I'm ashamed of the way I've felt sorry for myself lately when little things go wrong. "Why me?" has been a common thought pattern. How can I even begin to feel that way when I am probably more blessed than 99% of the people on the earth?

Let's not be compelled to be grateful. There are so many blessings all around us - let's try harder to see and give thanks for them.