Isn’t life crazy? I mean I find it so easy to get caught up in all of the tasks for the day that before I know it, I’m back in my bed recharging for the next day. A lot of the times, the day goes by so fast that I don’t remember what happened that same morning! While some may read this and think ‘well, that’s a typical college student life’, I feel as though it is true for many other people too. Life is just crazy.
However, what I have come to realize the past few years is that it is so easy to take things for granted when you live life like that. You know that saying, ‘You don’t appreciate it until it’s gone’? I found that ringing true in my everyday life. By going through the motions and preparing for the next day, I missed a lot of what the present day had to offer. So, what I’ve been trying to do is take the advice from Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. He says, “Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.
What I find amazing is that the people in Anapra whom Yselta Lutheran Mission supports never fails to follow through on Paul’s command. That’s one of the things I find so inspiring about them. As people, it is easy for us to look at others and think that we are the ones who need to help them. We have more, so that means they need help reaching the same. What we don’t realize is that even though they may have ‘less’, they are thankful for the ‘more’ that they have every day. My mission trip leader always said, “Don’t go down with the mindset that we are trying to ‘fix’ them. They don’t need that. Instead, you will be amazed by how much they ‘fix’ you.”
Because of that, I am trying to focus on what I am thankful for EVERYDAY. It’s actually easier than you think once you start. Instead of going through the motions and waiting for the next day, I focus on what today has to offer. You never know what life is going to throw at you, so enjoy what you have when it is there and before it is gone. The craziness of life can really take a toll on you, but God has provided us with so many things that often go unnoticed because of it. So, hopefully our new line does the same for you as it does for me. It serves as a reminder to focus on what I am THANKFUL for, what God has provided me this day, and to never take the little things for granted.
God’s Blessings,
Kiah Bakken