Grasp of Truth
If you have
Enough breath
To complain
About anything,
You have more than
Enough reason
To give thanks
About something.
Mattie J.T. Stepanek - Reflections of a Peacemaker
While reading this book, I am amazed over and over again. Even as a very young kid, Mattie understood some things that most of the rest of us never seem to grasp. This particular poem really struck me. Here was a kid who could have had plenty to complain about, but he chose to enjoy the life he had and try to make a difference in other people's lives, too.
I'm going to have to start quoting Mattie around here because it seems all we hear is complaining. Is it just a teenage thing? Or are my kids spoiled? I think sometimes when you have everything you could possibly need it's harder to be thankful - because you end up taking everything for granted. Maybe if we take some things away from them, they'll be more thankful for the things they have? It's worth a try anyway. Actually, what I want is to start keeping track of everything they complain about. Then I will expect them to list the same number of things they have to be thankful about. Either they will get tired of it and stop complaining so much, or they will actually realize how much they have to be thankful for.
I'll have to keep track of my own too.
