Thankful Thursday: July 7, 2022
Some days, it's hard to feel grateful.
We may be dealing with a serious issue, such as a job loss or divorce. On the other hand, it may be minor headaches like a car breakdown or an infestation of sewer flies.
Either way, the problems are usually fixable.
But you know what isn't fixable? Death. There's no way to reverse the end of a life. There are no alternatives or negotiations for a different outcome, regardless of how much we grieve and refuse to accept it. Sometimes, it's the result of disease and tragic accidents, robbing people in their prime of a longer life.
However, it's unthinkable when innocent people are murdered for simply going about their daily lives. They haven't committed any offense or hurt others. But, they're brutally gunned down in their workplaces, their schools, in churches, attending concerts and parades, and no place seems off-limits anymore.
It's beginning to feel like we're not safe anywhere, and that fills me with red-hot rage and fear. That's not the world I grew up in, and it's not the one I want for my children and grandchildren.
Despite all this, it's easy to feel grateful today.
I haven't lost my job, and the anguish of my 14-year-old divorce has long since faded. In addition, my car is running, and a few more drain treatments should eradicate those pesky flies.
More importantly, my loved ones are alive and well, and for a 63-year-old, I feel pretty decent.
So far, none of us have encountered a crazed gunman in our daily lives. We’re still safe, unlike many others who thought they were. We’re still a part of the majority, but for how long? How long before it’s my Walmart or grocery store? And should I even buy tickets to that concert I was so excited to attend?
We haven’t yet been touched by this maniacal contagion of violence so prevalent in our society. And sadly, in America today, that's starting to feel like a real accomplishment.
Does anyone else feel apprehensive about going places? Am I the only one?