A Sunny Place

Are you poor?

How do you classify yourself?  I recently saw that our income is considered fairly close to poverty level by govt. standards.  Yes, sometimes we barely make the bills, but God has provided - overall I consider our lives rich! 

I grew up in a third world country.  My parents were missionaries.  In that country I saw true poverty, and what we live now in the USA is far from that.  My family once visited a family in our church that lived on the bank of a river in an invasion.  They had a small wooden shack that they called home. It was one room.  There was a very wide board across one side with a makeshift pad on it - this was their "couch" and also served as the family bed for all five of them.  We were invited in to sit on their "couch."  They stood at the doorway and visited since there wasn't enough room for all of us in their home.  On the oppsosite side crammed in the remaining living space was an old TV he had dug out of the trash.  It was hooked up to a car battery since they didn't have electricity. Their "kitchen" was a lean too on the back that she cooked over an open fire with an assortment of pots and pans.  This was their home.  They were so happy.  He had been a drinking man and drunk away much of what little they had to live on.  They had since become Christians.  This man who could not read proudly carried his Bible to church every Sunday.  The church had met for a work day and had taken their previous tar paper hut and made it into a wooden shack instead - they had moved up in the world and they were so thankful and happy.  They borrowed money from a neighbor that day to buy a bottle of pop to serve to us, their guests. It was humbling. 

We live in a very abundant nation.  We are all so blessed.  I ask that we take a moment (and I remind myself) to be thankful for all that we do have, in comparison to so many who barely have (or don't have) enough to eat.  It's easy (for myself included) to get hung up on the bills, or become weary of things finances being snug or tight, but yet....

I have a beautiful believing family, a godly husband, a very ample home, a running vehicle, and many more things... Thanks be to God! 

Thanks for allowing me to share, may this be an encouragement and lift our spirits to be thankful to our Father for what He has blessed us with. 

Blessings!

Untitled Comment

03:59, Tuesday, January 29, 2008 .. Posted by gabbie427

I agree with you. We live in a very abundant nation, however we often take things for granted. Our Pastor brought this up just this last Sunday asying if you live in a house, you are rich to most of the world, if you have a car, you are super rich to most of the world. And here we are with a large house, and more than one working vehicle. Yes we are blessed!

God's Blessings,
Amy Jo

encouraging post!

04:52, Tuesday, January 29, 2008 .. Posted by blessedmomof10

What a wonderful & encouraging post! Thank you for reminding us to take heart and to truly offer up our thanks to our precious Lord! We have had a very "lean year" and the Lord continues to provide for our needed things..... He is good! If He cares about the sparrow and the arrays the lilly in such beauty -- then surely He will take care of us! God is so good! I am so amazed at His goodness and mercy and how much He loves us! thank you for your very heart warming post! I loved hearing about your expierence being a missionary's daughter. We have lived in a 3rd world country and I do understand what you are saying... they have so little and yet they are content! Yet here in America - we have everything but in general americans are discontent.

I enjoyed visiting your blog today! I Hope to visit again soon!

Blessings~~
gloria

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06:24, Tuesday, January 29, 2008 .. Posted by LivingSimple

I loved your post. We too are "poor" by the worlds standards. Most would be horrified at what we live on...LOL...But we are blessed beyond measure. We don't consider ourselves poor because we are rich in God's Grace, we have great friends, a great home, 2 vehicles payed for, clothes to wear and food to eat...My husband had a very bad year this year with his business and let me tell you it was hard, but we never went hungry, cold, or naked...God has provided our needs and more..HE IS GOOD AND HE IS FAITHFUL...So many people don't understand that money doesn't make you rich and they spend years trying to be better than the next person and make a little more money, but my treasure is layed up in Heaven and what a treasure it is!...Thanks for your post. God Bless you!

~Kris