This past Sunday night we heard about conditions in Zimbabwe. I can remember growing up hearing those words every child heard when we complained about not wanting to eat what was being served for dinner- “You need to eat your vegetables. There are children in Zimbabwe who are starving right now.” My first reaction was usually to think, “How is my eating this plate of food going to help them?” My second reaction was usually to think, “How about if we just stick this food in an envelope and ship it off to them?”
Unfortunately, being aware of others who are in need does not always make us more appreciative for what we have. Though it should, it doesn’t. Being aware of people in the world who are suffering famine doesn’t seem to make us appreciate that we have plenty of food. Being aware of Christians in the world who are being persecuted for their faith doesn’t seem to make us appreciate that we have freedom of religion. Being aware of people in the world who have no family or friends doesn’t seem to make us appreciate that we have both.
Sadly, it seems that often the only thing that makes us appreciate something is having it removed from our own lives for a while. Think about it. When do we most appreciate the fact that we enjoy electricity and running water? It’s after we have had one or the other unavailable for a while. It seems like we are on just the beginning of losing some of our wonderful conveniences and freedoms. We need to wake up. Don’t know what we have until it’s gone