Today I realized that I am blessed…
Today I realized that God has given me many opportunities, many chances, and the ability to make or not make many different choices, each of which have the power to lead me in completely opposite directions. But, nevertheless, I have the freedom to make the choice. Today, I am thankful to have been raised in a Christian home and to have parents who love me and who have given up so many things so that I can have the life that I do.
Where I am from most parents give up their wants and freedoms so that their kids can reach their dreams and be satisfied with their wants. Growing up my mom would make a grocery list before going to the store and ask each of us what we wanted. We would usually respond with, “Gold fish, Pringles, Cheesy Grits, Eggos, Milky Way, Sunny D,” Practically any kids dream. Here most kids walk an hour a day to eat one meal and some of them only eat half of their portion so that they can take the other half home to their Gogo (or grandma, not necessarily biological) because their parents are too sick, left them, or are no longer alive.
When I was born, I was born really early, so I came with some health problems. I had a mom and dad who put me next to their bed, attached to my heart machine, and prayed that it wouldn’t go off in the middle of the night. My dad would pat my back until I fell asleep and if my machine went off they would rush me to the hospital. Here, if your baby has health problems you may drop them off at the hospital with a note, never to see them again, or you may leave them somewhere where somebody else will find them.
I live in a nation that has homes worth millions of dollars, full of electronics, games, food, and any comfort that anyone could possibly ever want. I was born in a nation that guarantees me more rights than any other nation that there is. In America we get to vote to put others in power over us and when they get put there we have the right to say whatever we want about them. We have the right, and are encouraged, to think, to create, to change, to make a difference, to be the best that we can be.
Today my teammate, Kelly, and I went to the hospital to check on some of the babies that we have been visiting. When we walked in we saw three new babies who were all abandoned, one of which didn’t even have a name. She was five months old. Kelly picked her up and as we held the babies we discussed possible names for her. We decided to name her Mercy. She is quite possibly one of the cutest babies that I have ever seen with the chubbiest little cheeks. I can’t imagine why someone would give her up. I so desperately want her to know what she is worth. I want her to know that if she was mine that I wouldn’t give her up for anything in the world. I want her to know that she has a Father in heaven who created her with love, gentleness, thought, and joy. Pray with us that Mercy, as well as all of these babies, find Christian homes where their parents will tell and show them what they are worth and Whose they are. Today I am so thankful for Mercy and her gentle reminder that God has blessed me so that I can be a blessing to others. I am thankful for the reminder that God created us all and that He does not make mistakes.
