blessed beyond belief

I was watching "Slumdog Millionaire" for the 2nd time on Saturday night, after a day of hanging out with friends in the backyard, eating and drinking and just having a carefree good time, and I just could not get over how blessed I truly am. How is it possible that I was not born in the slums of a third world country, only to lose any family I had and ultimately, fend for myself in this life. I know our true treasure lies in heaven, and this life is only temporary; however, I've been given quite a cushy lot in this short life and did absolutely nothing to deserve it.

Due to some "tough financial times," I've been on a self-imposed "spending freeze" since the beginning of this year, and most days, think I should be given an award for my amazing restrain and self-control. Seriously? What is my problem? When will I get off my high horse and realize that simply buying groceries at the store is an unrealized luxury for much of this world's population. Driving a car, washing my clothes, running the dishwasher, turning on the AC (even for a brief moment), using electricity...these are all luxuries I take for granted on a daily basis. Instead of complaining about traffic, I should be thanking God I own a car that can sit in traffic. Instead of lamenting having to put up the dishes, I should be thanking God that, not only do I have dishes, but I also have food to put on those dishes which made them dirty in the first place. The list goes on...

When will I get it? When will the thought process change in my mind? When will I begin to grasp even an ounce of perspective? America is not poor. We are FAR from it. It's like, if we have to alter our standard of living, even by the tiniest of margins, we are "in a depression" and all hope is lost. It's time we got a grip on things. It's time we realized that we are blessed beyond belief, and do not deserve anything we have. Period.