Awhile back, I read these remarks and the impact continues to reverberate in my heart. I don’t know who wrote it, and since it is quite old, I am not confident of the statistics. But the importance of the words still nudges my heart. Maybe they will yours as well. It said:

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people around the world.

If you attend church without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death, you are more blessed than almost three billion people in the world.

If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet and spare change in a dish somewhere, you are among the top 8% of the world. (Online accounts count too!)

If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read anything at all.

I you own just one Bible (I counted mine: 19), you are abundantly blessed. One third of the world does not have access to even one.

The apostle Matthew reminds us of very similar truths in “The Sermon on the Mount” {Matt. 5-7). He starts his “beatitudes” with the phrase, “Blessed are the…” Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and those who are persecuted. And then Matthew reminds us of our reward. “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven…”

We are blessed when things are tough, because it gives us a chance to lean more heavily on our Savior and be reminded of just how powerful He is in our lives. If it’s not dark outside, you can’t see the aurora borealis. If it’s not difficult we won’t be able to appreciate the easy. If “stuff” isn’t happening, we can’t we blessed.

So, this week, let’s all adjust our attitudes and turn our attention to Him. Let’s stop whining and start an upbeat mantra… “We are blessed. We are blessed. We are blessed…” It won’t take long until we believe it!