Be Thankful.

1 Chronicles 16:4 (HCSB Free) “David appointed some of the Levites to be ministers before the ark of the Lord, to celebrate the Lord God of Israel, and to give thanks and praise to Him.”

Americans have a lot to be thankful for. As someone who lives in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, I see the blessings of America through the lens of one who is on the outside looking in. This perspective gives a sharp focus to the great things that the United States has been blessed with.

If you live in the United States, the odds are that on Thanksgiving Day, you will eat a huge meal around a large table surrounded by family and friends. Be thankful.

If you live in America, the odds are that you enjoy a legal system that holds the guilty accountable for their wrongs. Be thankful.

If you live in America, the odds are you have a car, a television or two, a cell phone, a computer and an Amazon account. Be thankful.

If you live in America, the odds are that you have electricity, clean water, Internet, air conditioning and heating. Be thankful.

If you live in America, you can go to school regardless of your gender, study what you want, and become what you want. Be thankful.

If you live in America, you have a right to vote and change the course of government. Be thankful.

If you live in America, you’ve never been through a violent coup or a collapse of your government. Be thankful.

As I write this, from my home, I’m watching smoke billow from the nearby capital city where an armed rebellion is taking place. Sixty percent of the population is unemployed, fifty percent of the children are hungry, and few have access to basic healthcare; and yet the people are thankful to the Lord for what they have.

America is a blessed country and I think that we are appointed to give thanks to the Lord for our blessings much like the Levites of old. Instead of focusing on the differences which divide our country, let’s focus on the positives, the blessings, and the wonderful things for which we are to be thankful.

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