We Don't Always Remember How Good We Have It

We think we have it so tough...then something strikes a cord in us and we remember that here in the US we really don't have it tough at all.  I am constantly amazed by the phrase we "need...."  What is a real need?  Here in the US most of us don't really know what a real need is.  We have many wants, but none of these wants have anything to do with the basic needs to sustain life.  I have been once again reminded that God is Good and he has provided me with a cup that runnith over with blessings.  


Today I was struck by an article that I read about Addis Ababa - the city that I so recently fell in love with (because from there came our two adorable boys and a city full of people with life and vibrancy).  The article was an interesting and sad piece about the state of sanitation in Addis Ababa.  Nearly a quarter of all residents (aprox. 3 million people live in Addis) lack toilets.  Now that is what I would call a need!  That is not one of our "American" needs, but a real need.  Click here to read the entire article about the sanitation and say a prayer that the basic needs of the people will be met in Addis.


As I read this article I thought about our time in Ethiopia and the beautiful place we stayed (Yeka Guest House).  Our guest house sat just off a main road and when we entered the gated yard it looked like we were driving up towards a bed and breakfast (Ethiopian style of course).  The grounds were immaculately cared for (they even had green grass - which is rare in the city), the building was newer, and the rooms were well cared for.  As we looked around and enjoyed the beauty of what was about to become our "home" for our two weeks in ET we were impressed.  However, it was midnight and time for bed.  The next morning as we awoke to the roosters we again commented on how nice the place was....and then I looked out the window onto the tin roofs.  As I stepped out on the balcony I looked directly below (everything is built very close together in the city) and saw the large cement fence with barbed wire on top.  And right next to the fence...a neighborhood of houses...but not the houses we were used to seeing.  The homes were literally one on top of the other, made from mud, sticks and some cement and most did not have electricity, running water, indoor cooking, and who knows what else.  Here we were living the Ethiopian life of luxury while the people right below us lived in poverty.  It was a hard site to see and made me appreciate our life here in the US even more.  The pictures below are looking out from our balcony into the neighborhood.  The second photo is of the woman who lived below us cooking injera and laying it out on the dirt to dry.  


My prayer is that these photos remind you to be thankful for the blessings that we have in life.  God is good and He will provide.