Praying about and thanking God for simple things...

I was just thinking earlier tonight about this.

Let me explain.

I was born again back in 1982 when I was in my early mid 20's. Here I was this supercharged brand new born again person, with new attitudes and desires, in love with Jesus! And praise God I still am.

But I remember sometimes in church services back then when someone...a pastor or someone...would say at an particular time "Brother Bob, why dont you lead us in prayer".

And brother Bob, many times older than me, would pray and say "mundane" things like "God, we thank you for another day to serve you, and we thank you for our good health and our family members whom we love, and for the beautiful color of the leaves changing...", etc etc.

And I appreciated those things, but sometimes in my youthful zeal I would sort of think "Gee, doesnt he have anything exciting to pray about?

Thank you for this day? Thank you for the leaves changing color? Thank you for our good health?

I'd kinda think...C'mon, how about all the heathen in Africa getting born again! And the healings and miracles that happened at the church on the other side of town last friday! And the people at the Billy Graham Crusade on TV that were born again! And the incredible revival going on in these others areas and countries!

And of course those are things that we should be thankful for.

But I'm not in my mid 20's anymore. In a few months I will turn 50. And I have been noticing some things the last few years. Things I noticed before, but not like this.

More and more I find my self noticing things like what I noticed at work tonight. I passed someone in a hall walking with a cane...and it wasnt someone much older than me.

She looked like she was about 10 years younger than me. And I notice sometimes people struggling with debilitating diseases, or getting around in wheelchairs. And they are my age. Or younger. I encounter people who are battling cancer or going to dialysys treatments 3 times per week, or having to give themselves a shot of insulin in the stomach 2 times every single day of their lives. And these people are many time my age or younger.

And I hear of children...8 or 9 year old CHILDREN!...who have already had 10 or 12 operations to try and beat Leukemia or something. And it makes me weep.

And in the past couple of years or so 3 or 4 people have passed away, who I know, who were right about my age. Not car accidents or drug overdoses. They got sick and died, or they had a heart attack and died, or they had a stroke and died, etc.

Both of my parents and a sister have died in the years since I have been born again.

And you know what?

Not one...single...day...goes by anymore that I dont thank and praise God for the day that he has given me, and for the opportunity to serve Him today, as poorly as I do it sometimes. And for the beauty of this world, and for my health, and for the fact that I am not in a wheelchair or battling cancer or taking insulin shots or anything like that.

Isnt it funny how we have to sometimes grow into wisdom?

I'm not sure why I'm posting this, there isnt really any particular point I'm offering for discussion. It was just on my heart. Maybe there is someone else here who needs to hear this for some reason and will be blessed by it.

God bless, and Merry Christmas!

Mike