Another reason for praise

"Would you like to donate to Help?",asked the cashier as she totalled the groceries.
"What's That?", I asked.
"It Gives money to the hungry ",she answered.
The grocery bagger perked up.
"I'm Hungry, " he chirped.
"Money For the poor! "emphasized the cashier.
"I'm Poor! " he countered.
She glared at him, "Money for the poor and hungry who don't have jobs and can't work!"
"Oh," he said finally defeated.

As we drove with my dear parents through the lovely countryside of upstate NY, my dad told me once the governor of NY, Rockefeller had driven similar roads and been amazed by all the mobile homes dotting his land.
"Go Find out why all these people are living in trailers," he told his underlings.
So his researchers went out, collected data and returned to filthy rich mogul, Rockerfeller.
"They Are too poor to buy a house, " they told him.

As we were playing Scrabble that evening, my dad was disturbed that Asherel didn't eat most of her dinner.
"I Hate to see food wasted," he said, and I was sure he was going to make some typical joke. Bit instead, he told us he had lived through the depression. It had been drummed in his head to eat every bite on his plate. It might be a long time before there was more.

I thought about being poor. We never have been. Or if we were, my folks kept it from being a source of anxiety. It struck me how fortunate I have been, what a charmed life I have led. But it wasn't just luck. My dad also spoke of the 3 jobs he worked when we were young. I hadn't known or remembered he worked three jobs to support us!

Sometimes I forget the most basic reasons to awaken praising God for the life I have been given...like thanking my dad that I never grew up worried that the crumb on my plate might be my last.

"I Could be poor and hungry without a job ", whined the grocery bagger.
"But You are not! " said the cashier.

Proverbs 22:1-2 NIV

A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. Rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord is the Maker of them all.

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