My family has recently moved and we have been searching for a new congregation to attend. As much as we love our home congregation, it is a 50 mile trip one way, and that is too far to travel with three children.

It has been a tough search to find a congregation offering the liturgy and decent Law/Gospel preaching. We finally found a congregation that is really solid and happens to be about fifteen minutes away. We have visited several times and will be joining soon.

Yesterday, a visiting Pastor from Haiti preached. Pastor Bernard gave a message on John Chapter 6.

In passing, he referenced the plight of some of his parishioners who are unable to afford daily bread for themselves and their children. He only uttered a few phrases on the subject then went on to the main point of his sermon.

Those few phrases impacted me though.

Sometimes, despite our relative immense wealth, it’s easy to lose focus and become anxiety ridden over our situation. Our jobs cause us to lose sleep. Family problems overwhelm us. The political and economic outlook for our country seems dark. I am particularly given to embracing ‘doom and gloom.’

Yet I forget that those of us who own a home and a car are in the 99th percentile of the wealthiest people in the world. If you own a car and rent an apartment you come in at something around the 98th percentile. Those of us, at least in the United States, enjoy more political, economic, and personal liberty than almost any place else in the world. Our friends in Canada, New Zealand, and maybe a couple other places are right there with us. Add to that the fact that the US is still a land of opportunity, and if we are willing to work hard and sacrifice we can achieve amazing things.

Our health care is still some of the best in the world. If you contract a disease or come down with a dangerous condition like cancer, the U.S. is the place to be.

Measured on a global scale, we are kings and princes in the earth.

Are there real problems here? Yes. Are we facing some seriously tough times and potential political and economic upheaval? Yes. Still we are incredibly blessed by God. The book of James says that every good gift comes down to us from the Lord, and sometimes I need to take a breath and meditate on that fact for a while.

By Pat K