About eight years ago I was making a visual aid for a missions display for the church I was attending. It was a half sized model of a solar cooking oven that a missionary had developed in Haiti. The people living there needed a simple and inexpensive way to prepare meals because their national leaders had cut down all their trees in order to make charcoal. Some time in the 1990’s the supply of charcoal was exhausted.
The nation of Haiti is the poorest in the Western Hemisphere. The solar ovens, made of corrugated cardboard and covered with aluminum foil, answered a need for the families because of the extreme expense of electricity. When a person looked at this oven, the thought that came to mind was, “no way.” But I had seen photos of tables of food produced by these very small appliances.
While I was making my model I thought, “We are blessed.” Later that evening, I found myself focusing on the many ways God has blessed us. I made an entry in my journal.
We are blessed
* if we know God as our Lord.
* if we have a roof over our heads.
* if we have clothes to wear.
* if we have gas or electric stoves.
* if we have a few close friends.
* if we have some good memories.
* if we or someone close has experienced
a healing.
* if we have good neighbors.
* if we have someone to laugh with us.
* if we have someone to cry with us.
* if we can see beauty.
* if we can hear laughter.
* if we can shed tears.
* when we can enjoy God’s creation.
* when we can commune with God Himself.
* when we pause and listen to the birds.
* when we watch children at play.
* when we watch animals run to and fro.
* when we pray for another’s need.
We are blessed because God loves us and He sheds His grace upon us because of that great love for us..
Cecelia Lester
A Quiet Spirit Writing Ministry
Feb. 19, 2007
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