I am Blessed

April 19, 2009

One evening last week I was sitting in my living room talking with Evelin and through the course of the conversation I was struck with how blessed I am to have the family that I do. I have a family that loves and supports me. Until this past year, sickness and death had hardly even touched my extended family. This last year has brought more pain because of various happenings, but even so my family has stood together. Evelin, on the other hand, is very alone in the world. Her mother died while she was a teenager and her father is out of the picture. Some of her siblings are supportive of her but they do not understand her story or where she is today. And because of their own problems and struggles financially in a poor country, they cannot give much aid. And so as I sat with her that day I felt one of those twinges of sadness and even a little guilt as to why I was chosen to have such a wonderful family and easy life. My own choices and decisions have much to do with my family relationships, but there is a part too that is out of my control. I did nothing to deserve my family, but God placed me where He did. And so I am very thankful but realize that I want to be able to share my family and what I have learned from them with others. I am humbled too realizing that when much is given, much is required. What am I doing to share the family God has given me? I cannot take for granted what God has done for me.