One Rich Dude
By Dan Betzer

As I droveup Interstate 5, I started counting my blessings. Do you ever do that?

Yesterday I drove from San Diego up Interstate 5 to Orange County to visit my brother Ben.

It was one of those magnificent days in Southern California when a gentle breeze and rain the previous few days had cleared away any vestige of smog. You could see for miles.

In the distance, snow-capped mountains pierced the robin's egg blue skies. Off to my left, the Pacific Ocean lay like some massive undulating carpet, dotted here and there with various sized ships.

I had just come from a pastors' forum in San Diego, where we met with the world missions leaders of our denomination. We had discussed the plight of people in countries such as India and El Salvador, which had been rocked by earthquakes, wiping out whole cities and killing tens of thousands of people.

As I drove, I started counting my blessings.

Do you ever consciously do that? Do you ever thank God for all the gifts He has given you -- reasonable health, a safe and warm place to lay your head at night, sufficient food to give you strength, the touch of a loved one's hand?

My good friend, many people do not have such blessings.

You may not like your job very much, but be thankful you have a paycheck coming today. Many have no income at all. Your car may be rickety and shake you like an Aspen leaf in the mountain winds, but many have never even been inside an automobile.

So as I drove up I-95 yesterday I thanked the Lord for my many treasures. I am one "rich" dude! And so are you, if you have any of these listed provisions.

We ought to take the time to say thanks to the One who gives to us beyond measure, instead of complaining and always asking for more.

Remember the old line: "I cried because I had no shoes till I met a man who had no feet."

cbn