Thankful To Be An American

I'm going to try to write a few blogs this week about things I'm truly thankful for. This first one is hopefully not too controversial, It is something that has been striking me lately as I see all the usual social media complaining change to thankfulness this month. I've found myself very convicted of my own complaining and lack of realization of my own privileged. 

This is the week when we American’s stop complaining about being cut off in traffic, Starbucks getting our drink wrong or the line at the store being too long. In fact this Friday, we’ll seek out bad traffic and long lines. Well some of us may still complain as well. The point is, it’s Thanksgiving week, the dedicated time to stop and give thanks.

Given all that we have in this great nation, it amazes me that we need to dedicate a day remember to give thanks. Even the poor in America live in abundance! We have more opportunity than any other place in the world. President Ronald Reagan said, “In America, our origins matter less than our destination, and that is what democracy is all about.”

Before you dismiss me as a rich guy who just doesn't get it, I am poor by American standards; my back account is currently overdrawn and I worry every month if I’ll have enough to make my bills. I struggle daily, but I’m in the best country on the planet to have these “problems”. I’m able to easily pick up side jobs and sell possessions whenever I need. When I look at my “poverty” compared to the rest of the world, I realize exactly how wealthy I am.

The media would tell you that I’m poor. If my income doubled, I’d still be making less than a “livable wage”. Yet, I have I home with heat, running water, food, and electricity. Many people in the world do not. My family owns two cars that we drive to the grocery store. Many in world walk miles in often empty hopes of finding scraps of food. All by basic needs are met and exceeded. This simply is not true for most of the planet.

Charity Water reports, “In Africa alone, people spend 40 billion hours every year walking for water. Women and children usually bear the burden of water collection, walking miles to the nearest source, which is unprotected and likely contaminated.” People are walking miles through horrible conditions to get filthy water and they are thankful, yet we have our day ruined by a referee blowing a call in a football game.

Even our homeless have places to get food and shelter. We have the greatest freedoms in the history of mankind. Our military is the toughest fighting force ever conceived. We have a raging immigration debate because people from all over the planet want to come to this land of opportunity. If you live in the United States of America, you have much to be thankful for every single day. The poorest among us, have much to be thankful for. The richest among us have much to be thankful for.

Please never forget the blessing we have as Americans. Please never forget the men and women who died to give us these blessings. Please never take for granted how rich you are. Please remember to give thanks today and every day for the blessings you have. Please stop complaining about the 1% and realize you are the 1%.