I sit in a daze of shock as I try to take in all the effects of recent floods. Much rain has caused chaos in this country. Floods, mudslides, homes washed away, over 60 deaths, lines of people waiting with buckets for water, and much damage is just hard to take in and comprehend... especially when it's right on your front doorstep.
One of my absolute favorite things about Peru is all the fresh food so readily available! I guess you'd say I'm spoiled as sometimes I'll eat a whole avacado with my meal, or splurge on half a pineapple that costs a sol .80, which is like 50 US cents. Pineapple and 2 pitchers full of fresh juice for 50 cents, yes, please!!!
But days ago, things started to get bad with the floods. Fresh produce can no longer get through due to highways completely destroyed and bridges that have collapsed. All of a sudden, limes skyrocketed in price, now costing over 10 USA dollars for a kilo (2.2 lbs for you americans out there ;)) ! I smiled to myself because- thank God, I still have 10 limes stored away in my fridge. Believe me that this morning as I reached for a lime to make my lime water I love so much that I felt spoiled, downright spoiled to still have limes!!! Running water that has been cut for 5 days straight makes one the happiest woman alive to be able to have a real shower. Joy abounds in this heart over the tiniest things, that before I never even would have noticed.
A question that's plagued my mind over the past several years is, "Why is it that we don't appreciate what we have until it's taken away from us?" Of course we might appreciate it to some degree, but we don't appreciate the fullness of it... until it's gone and we finally realize what we have or had.
I struggle to keep my composure when I hear the slightest joke about being married, or when a wife is complaining to me about her husband. Why? Because I would do anything, anything to have her "problem" again, if it meant I could have 5 more minutes with Daniel. I would gladly work any job, live in any conditions, survive any time period... if only I could have Daniel back.
So many times we wait to be grateful until we realize it's gone. Gratitude makes what we have enough. We look at what we have and become thankful for it...that's gratitude. But many times our perspective is wrong, we don't see things as we ought. I can't tell you how many times I've taken limes for granted!! I seriously love limes and use them almost daily here-- but I can't honestly tell you that I've thanked God for them daily. But I promise you that every little half lime I use from my fridge this week, I will be thanking God for it! And the next time, should the Lord allow me to buy more limes at the market (I won't touch them until prices come down, I'm way too thrifty!) I will be praising Him and counting them as blessings.
Gratitude, I am learning, is one of the biggest keys to having a joyful life. We can look at what we don't have, and always have a reason to complain. OR, we can look at every blessing and find that it IS enough, and that God is indeed good and always working on our behalf. Today, I'm thanking Him for limes. And you? For what will you choose to thank Him? What will you see that you already have, yet have not given thanks? Today I'll be thankful for one lime, yes- please and thank you!
