Thankful For Even The Smallest Things

I washed my dishes today. It doesn't sound like an earth shaking event but it was a profound reminder to me of how I need to be thankful and yes, grateful, for even the smallest of things. You see, I've just returned from Kenya, Africa where if a woman wants to do her dishes, she must first walk, on average 6 km, to fetch water from the nearest water source. I didn't have to do that. I just turned on the tap and beautiful, clear, safe water poured from the faucet. The average Kenyan woman has to collect brown, muddy water that she knows is not safe for her family to consume, but it is all she has.


The Word tells us to be thankful for all things but I guess, like most North Americans, I tend to take things like clean, safe water for granted. I have on occasion even complained about having to do my dishes. I've even complained about having to do my laundry when all I have to do is load it into a machine that does the work for me. I don't have to carry it to the river and scrub it on the rocks and carry it back to my house again. No, I have no reason to complain, but I have plenty of reasons to be thankful for all that I have. 


I guess it has always been easy for me to be thankful for the big things in my life like my family, my home, my pets, my vehicle, things like that, but I admit that I have been remiss in thanking the Lord for the small things. When you think about it, being able to turn on our tap and have safe, clean water pour out of it actually isn't a small thing at all. If you asked a Kenyan woman how that simple thing could change her life, she would tell you it would be one of the greatest blessings she could have. 


The next time you are standing at your kitchen sink facing a pile of dishes, I challenge you to thank the Lord for the gift of clean, accessible water. Be thankful for even the smallest of things because to some they are the greatest. 


In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18