Living Appreciatively
So I haven’t written anything for quite a while and I think it’s time I slow down from everyday life and share some of the things I’ve been learning/thinking about. One of the most impacting events that has recently changed some of my thoughts and beliefs occurred last week through a missions trip that I wasn’t even on…
My dad and younger sister went on a medical missions trip to Burkina Faso, Africa and provided medical care to about 600 people in a few days. It was pretty awesome to see a picture of my dad (surgeon) and my sister (actress) in an operating room together working on a patient. In America, she wouldn’t have even been able to step foot in an operating room without 12 signed documents…and she would probably STILL somehow get sued. In Africa, she was willing to help so they taught her how and she helped them save lives and treat people. That’s pretty awesome if you ask me.
One woman they treated came in with a chronic sore/infection on the base of her foot. She said it had been bothering her for a long time and was never able to have it looked at. Without going into too many gruesome details, they cleaned the wound and found it was a bone that was sticking out of the skin. When they asked her how long ago she had broken her foot, she said it’s been about 25 years…25 years!? Are you kidding?? I cannot begin to imagine being in that much pain every day for 25 years. That blew my mind.
This all made me realize how we, as Americans, have such a twisted sense of comfort and what we are entitled to. (myself included) If we have a little headache we whine and complain to each other until we can grab the nearest bottle of Excedrin. We become so self-absorbed in our own desires and comforts. It seems like children with tumors the size of a soccer ball and women with bones sticking out of their feet only exist on the discovery channel. It seems like some fictional story geared to making us feel bad. If we don’t like seeing it, we simply change the channel. The reality is, these people are exactly like you and me. They really can feel everything the same…have emotions and relationships and dreams.
Now, I didn’t write about this to make you depressed or feel bad for having more than the people in Burkina Faso, Africa…I just hope it can help you appreciate all the comforts that we do have already and express that appreciation by sharing with others who don’t have as much as you. We need to start taking the focus off ourselves and onto those around us. We can make a huge impact simply by choosing to alter our attitudes and our actions every day.
You are very very blessed. Live appreciatively!
1 year ago • 1 note
