Counting Blessings

It's very easy to think about the things we don't have in life, or would like to have.  (Try it--I bet you can come up with a long list without thinking hard at all!)  I'd like to win the lottery.  I'd like to visit New Zealand.  I'd like a cool car.

Living overseas in a developing country, my list has altered a little bit.  I'd like to see my family.  I wish I had my old car. (Seriously, a single trip across town on a bike in a rainstorm will bring this one up instantly!)  I wish I had the recliner I gave away.  I wish there was a shoe store that sold shoes my size. I wish I had air conditioning, and electricity 24 hours a day.  Hot running water would be nice, too.

If you let it, this focus on things you don't have can be all-consuming, and can quickly lead to discontent.  Yesterday I was invited to the house of a local woman.  I'd been to a Nepali's house before, and expected it to be at least one level below how the expats live.  It wasn't.  This sweet Christian woman lives with her husband and three children in a room about the size of my bedroom.  A double bed and a bunk bed dominated the space, with a large wardrobe standing between.  The other wall contained a kitchen area with a gas stovetop, an old tube-style tv, and some shelves for storage.  There was no running water, and no bathroom.  They were fortunate enough to have an inverter, which meant a single bulb lit the space when the electricity was off.  Their dishes get washed in a cracked plastic tub filled with water brought in from the common tap down the street.  And they are happy.  I was humbled, and when I returned home last night, a little embarrassed at the amount of space I have.  By US standards, I'm living quite modestly.  By Nepali standards, I'm ridiculously wealthy.  No wonder the shopkeepers jack up their prices whenever we come around!  

So this month I'm counting my blessings.  Here are a few:

• a spacious apartment
• access to a scooter 
• indoor plumbing that works 95% of the time
• internet access that lets me stay in touch with my family
• enough clothes that I could wear a different outfit everyday for about two weeks if I wanted
• more than one pair of shoes that fit
• electricity and an inverter for when there isn't
• Christian neighbors
• a strong, dedicated community that goes out of its way to encourage each other
• a circle of supporters that prays for me daily and gives me the financial support I need to stay here
• the opportunity to live overseas as a missionary

I have been so blessed, and have so much to be thankful for.  Praise the Lord!