Be happy with what you have…

March 11, 2024

The Best of Jack’s Winning Words 3/11/24 – reprises of posts to the Jack’s Winning Words blog or the late Pastor Jack Freed. Originally sent July 10, 2015.


“Just remember there is someone out there that is more than happy with less than what you have.” (Unknown) When I first read this quote, I could not help but stop and put aside my personal complaints. I have so much, and there are so many who have so little. Is it that way with you? It’s an old saying, but it’s true: “I complained, because I had no shoes, until I saw a man who had no feet.” There are many reasons for us to be generous with our riches. 😉  Jack
 

It doesn’t take anything other than the nightly news to give one reason to be happy that they are not the people in the news that night. The bread-and-butter of the nightly news shows is sharing the suffering of others. Inevitably some news reports will interview someone who’s home was just destroyed and whose family was wiped out and ask that stupid question that they all seem to use, “How does that make you feel?” The reporter is hoping for tears and lamenting, which makes for great TV viewing – or so they think.

Getting back to the title theme, the conclusion that one should draw from this quote and other experiences and observations during the day is that we have much to for which to be  happy. Unfortunately, we in the United States live within a society which puts a high value of getting more – more money, more power and more possessions. We don’t have time to reflect upon and be happy about what we have, because that wastes time from our pursuit of more. Be happy with what you have.

Oft times, when my wife and I are about to leave for a shopping trip, I will ask er the question, “What do you need?” Her reply most often is, “What I need and what I want are two different things.” For most American’s that is the problem – our wants far outstrip our needs. It is also not unusual for the cost of what we want to exceed what we can afford. We end up spending money that we don’t have on things that we don’t need. Be happy with what you have.

So, how does one become happy with what they have? You might start by being happy that the Lord has given you another day on earth. Realize that not everyone got that gift. You probably heard about some who aren’t here today on last night’s news shows. Be happy with what you have.

As you head into the shower, think about all of the people who not only can’t take a shower, but who have no safe water to drink. That was on last night’s news, too. Be happy with what you have.

As you rummage through your overstuffed closet for today’s outfit, consider the people who just escaped a housefire with only the clothes (or pajamas) on their backs. Consider those migrants at the border or the refuges in Gaza who have only the clothes that they had on when they fled. Be happy with what you have.

Throughout your workday, think about how lucky you are to have a job and/or the freedom to seek another one, if your current job isn’t working for you. In parts of the world torn by chaos and war, there are no jobs. Be happy with what you have.

As you end your day, perhaps a prayer of thanksgiving is in order. Pause to consider all of the places in the world where freedom of religious expression is suppressed or nonexistent. Be happy with what you have.

If praying isn’t your thing, at least give some thought to the quote that Jack used in his post – “Just remember there is someone out there that is more than happy with less than what you have.” (Unknown) Reflect upon how that could be true and the blessings that you have will flood into your mind. You will be happy with what you have.

Now, doesn’t that make you feel better? Be happy with what you have.

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Posted by Norm Werner

Be blessed, not stressed…

March 10, 2015

“Too blessed to be stressed!”  (Seen on a coffee mug), from the Jack’s Winning Words blog.

The concept of being “blessed” doesn’t necessarily have to take on religious meaning, but most people associate it with that thought. At its most benign level  it means acknowledging what you have, starting with life itself and adding on from there. One often sees on the nightly news people who have just lost everything that they possessed claiming to be blessed to be alive. They have been stripped of all of the trappings of life, but have come to realize that all of those things matter less than life itself and the lives of the loved one that you may have around you.

Much of the stress in our daily lives does seem to be rooted in spending time worrying afraidabout things that have yet to happen or things that we don’t have, but wish that we did. Almost all of the worry about things that have yet to happen is born in our vivid imaginations, our ability to conjure up the worst case scenarios and play them out in our minds. Things seldom turn out to be as dramatic or dangerous as we imagine them to be; nor, on the flip-side, does the achievement of material success ever turn out to be as sweet as we dreamed it would be. We stress about things because we are not content o live in the moment and be happy with the blessings that we already have.

So; what to do, what to do, to avoid the stress. One might start by sitting quietly and appreciating all of the blessings that we already have, starting with the fact that you made it to another day. Then, add the people around you whom love you and who yousmiling man love and your blessings begin to mount. If you are not homeless, add that in; if you are then perhaps you have found shelter for the night and that is a blessing.  If you had food to eat during the day, even if it was not as much as you had hoped, it was a blessing. If you are not naked, then your clothes are a blessing. One could go on and on, totaling up the little things in life that one has that may be thought of as blessings. You’ll probably be surprised at the length of the list of your blessings and the fact that spending time on being thankful for them leaves you little time to stress over what you don’t have.

Of course, it would be naïve to ignore the hunger and poverty, the illnesses and evil and the injustices in the world around us; so maybe you could spend some time thinking about what you could help to do about some of those issues. Actually doing something might equip you with a purpose and a mission for your life and a life with purpose seldom has time for stress. One might say “I’m busy trying to do good things; I have no time to devote to thoughts about bad things.” Stress is a phenomenon that soup kitchenbreeds best during idle times and those with a mission in life have little of that time to devote to it. You see that type of story every so often in the news too; about the lady who is poor but who devotes her life to running a soup kitchen for people who are even poorer and who seems to be very happy – she doesn’t have time for stress in her life, she’s too busy being helpful and happy. Perhaps this quote from Leo Aikman sums it up best –

“Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night.”

So, have a blessed and happy day. You made it to today and that is a great start. Now go find your mission in life and you’ll be too busy to worry.

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Posted by Norm Werner