For the past two weeks, all eyes around the world have focused on the major earthquake in Haiti, relief efforts and fundraising.
While tens of thousands of people have lost their lives, loved ones and their homes, this certainly puts our own lives into real perspective – for us in resource-rich Alberta, Canada, and North America.
While people in Haiti and other Third-World and war-torn countries have virtually nothing or face the fear of death, why do people seem to complain when something goes wrong – even when it doesn’t threaten the lives or health of ourselves or our loved ones?
Watching the news on television or read the major daily newspapers, many of the stories seem to be about people complaining about things that we take for granted here and that millions of people around the world don’t have.
For people living in third-world counties, living in Alberta and Canada would be heaven.
We are overly blessed here in Alberta and Canada where some people often think it is just not enough.
If one thinks life is tough here, one should consider a trip to Haiti or some other desolate place for three days and see how poor those people have it.
Most of us probably wouldn’t last three hours there until we would quickly discover that we have it great here – we have nothing to complain about.
If you have good water, food, clothing, shelter and good health – that’s all we really need.
No matter what, many people seem to complain about decisions and funding cutbacks from the governments of all levels, especially the provincial and federal governments.
Consider this as a family relationship.
I’m sure all of us growing up as young children and youth have all experienced a time when our parents couldn’t’ afford to buy us everything we needed or wanted.
Yet we still loved our parents – at least I hope and trust we did - and we eventually saw the good judgment they made in their decisions months or years later.
Professional sports is another prime example where people complain about nothing.
Why complain about losing a game when so many other people are losing their lives, health, loved ones?
Why do we seem to get so caught up and emotional about the unimportant things that have nothing to do with life and death?
I remember a song from Sunday school:
O be thankful for the good things that we’ve got.
The good things that we got
Are for many just a dream.
O be thankful for the good things that we’ve got.”
Let’s count our blessings, focus on the positive, help make the world a better place for everyone – blessed and positive.
— Richard Froese