Sometimes I complain too much--about the weather (too cold in South Carolina today!), my lack of savings account (should have known when I decided to teach), and the fact that we don't have a house of our own yet (so tired of this one-bedroom apartment). What I forget to do, however, is give thanks for all the things I do have--electricity, heat, and a fuzzy jacket to keep me warm on this 20 degree morning, money to pay bills with enough left over to have some spending money, and a one-bedroom apartment that is in a safe location and is truly big enough for what we "need."
I complain so much about things that I should never bother complaining about. Truthfully, when you think about it, anything we complain about has to fall into one of two categories. It is either something we can control, or something we can't. If the issue is something we can control, then we should simply work to change it. If it is something beyond our control, then there is no reason to complain about something we can't change. This is an excellent thought, but something I hardly put into practice. Instead, I whine about the price of milk at the grocery store, without pausing to be thankful that I can afford it.
Things could be so much worse than they are, and for lots of people all over the world, things are a lot worse than "how bad" I have it. There are families who go without food, clothes, shelter, etc. There are children who have no one who hugs them or tells them they are loved.
Truthfully, I lack nothing. I have everything I need and then more on top of that. I have been so ungrateful for the life I have and the people/things/luxuries in it. I plan to spend this year being more thankful for what I have...trying to hone in one thing I'm thankful for each day.
