Thankful Thursdays

Okay, this may sound weird to some, but I'm thankful that I grew up poor. Yep, that's right, poor. We lived in the Bronx, also known as the ghetto, in rat and roach infested apartments, with lots of hand-me-downs and second hand furniture. We actually were glad when we finally moved into the projects; it was an upgrade from where we'd lived. But I'm thankful because it taught me to appreciate. Every little thing I have now I'm thankful for, and everything I can give my children that I didn't have myself as a child brings me joy. It taught me to work hard for the things I wanted, and not to expect things to just fall in my lap because I demanded them. It taught me to be content with less, that possessions aren't what brings happiness, and that playing with my siblings was more fun than playing all alone, even with the fanciest toys.

Sure, there were times when I wished we had more money. I wished we didn't have to always pinch pennies. I will say, though, that while I didn't have the fanciest clothes, the ones I had were always clean and pressed. We didn't eat out very often, nor did we eat lobster and steak everyday, but we never went hungry, not one single day. The most important thing I learned, was to have faith. I couldn't depend on money, 'cause there wasn't a whole lot of it. I couldn't depend on myself, 'cause there was only so much I could do for myself, and then I was back to square one. I couldn't depend on anyone else, 'cause they couldn't do more for me than I was doing for myself. So who could I depend on? The One who can do it all. Jesus showed me that I could experience joy without a lot of worldly possessions. He showed me that I'm a richer person when I give to others. And most of all, He gave me the most precious and priceless gift: life. I may have grown up poor, and I'm not wealthy by men's standards, but I know that I'm the richest I've ever been, and I'm so very thankful for that.

Wanna join in? Click on over to Grace Alone. God bless.