thank you

I was enjoying a hard-earned quiet time while the kids napped.  I was counting my gifts in my journal.  I looked at the playground and thought, I should be thankful for the playground.  My immediate response was of guilt.  

I pondered that feeling and asked myself, "Why do I feel guilty owning a playground?" So as I'm having a conversation with myself (not awkward to admit at all...call it child-induced craziness) I reply, "Because others don't have one." And then I think, well, this is a gift, a gift from God.  Who am I to choose not to thank Him for it because I feel like I should feel guilty?  And it just opened up a whole array of different things to be thankful for.  And it struck me how many things I do not thank God for because I feel a sense of guilt because we have them and others do not.  It's ironic to me to think that my sympathy for others would be used to prevent my gratitude.  The enemy is very crafty and we have to be very honest with ourselves.  

Of course, don't misunderstand me.  I do not believe we should acquire everything we can at the expense of others and thank God for that.  I'm a girl who loves simplicity and the quote by Mother Teresa sums up my philosophy:  "Live simply so that others may simply live."  

So for everything I'm just going to say THANKS GOD!