Saturday Sermonette--Why Me?

???

Why me? I'd be willing to bet I'm not the only one who has asked this question, right?

Given some of the things that have happened to me, I could ask this a lot.

*  Broke a finger playing softball when I was about twelve--the finger never healed right, and it is permanently crooked.

*  Caught in an explosion with my two-year-old daughter when I was twenty-one and still have the scars.

*  Appendicitus at age twenty-seven--the appendix had gangreen.

*  Inherited a defect in my teeth--too few (I had twenty-four instead of thirty-two) and very few of the ones I got were adult teeth. Lost all the upper teeth and now wear dentures.

I could go on, but why depress everyone?

I could push out my lower lip and cry, "Why me?"

I could blame God.

I could spend my time and resources to try to fix everything.

Or I could grin and bear it. I could look around me and notice many more worse off than I am. And try to help them when I can.

Or I could praise God for what I have. My family, my friends, my church, my home, my clothing, my pets, my garden, my occupation---well, you get the picture. There are so many more things that I have than those I don't have. Really, I have all that I need. Like St. Paul, I've learned to be content with what I have rather than to yearn for things I don't have. Thanks, Lord.

Can you?

I hope so. I pray so.