Most days we don’t have to worry about our basic needs. And this allows us to enjoy, and often take for granted, the many luxuries of life. But tragedy and heartache have a way of stripping away all our pretenses and helping us to remember what really matters.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the many creature comforts of this life. In fact, these can be seen as a reward for all hard work, or simply as God blessing us with good things. Either way, we’re free to drink deeply of this goodness without guilt.
However, it’s easy to forget our true needs when we’ve been otherwise living a life of luxury. For instance, we enjoy countless options of food and entertainment, and we’re tempted to approach our relationships in a similar manner. In short, we forget the hard work required of us, as well as simply being thankful for the many blessings God has poured out on us.
But tragedy and pain have a way of waking us up and helping us to remember. For example, we quickly put things into perspective when a loved one is seriously ill, a natural disaster hits our community, or when we’re in a season in which our basic needs are all we can afford. Here a simple meal, a place to rest safely, and quality time with our loved ones, quirks and all, are no longer taken for granted. And this cultivates a renewed spirit of gratitude in our hearts as well.
While it often takes some sort of tragedy to wake us up, we must learn to remember throughout the rest of our life – enjoying abundance without forgetting what really matters.
In the end, freely enjoy the many luxuries of life. And don’t forget to remember and be grateful for what really matters.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
