On the eve of what is the most beautiful holiday in the USA for me, I came across the end of a prayer by Caroline Myss:
“If I am grateful for having been spared a suffering, give me the grace to help those who are suffering. Amen”
That sentence tugged at my heartstrings for it allowed me to see not only how blessed I am but how fortunate too. All too often I find myself forgetting or realizing that I am looking at life with blinders for what I consider suffering does not come close or compare to what others are truly experiencing.
I have never known hunger, not real hunger. Although I may have undergone through lean periods at times in my life, I have never had to go a day without a meal. I have always had a roof over my head. Despite whether or not I appreciated the circumstances, I slept every night in a comfortable bed. The same applies to my finances. There have been times of austerity but never destitution.
Yes, I can wholeheartedly say that I have been spared hardship for what I have undergone has been but a mere triviality compared to the tribulations of others.
“I cursed the fact that I had no shoes until I saw a man who had no feet ..” Persian Proverb
So, I pause, reflect, and give gratitude not only for what I have but for what I do not have for the latter is also a blessing and a gift which I have genuinely begun to appreciate.
But for the grace of God go I
I must’ve been born a lucky guy
Heaven only knows how I’ve been blessed
With the gift of your love
And I look around and all I see
Is your happiness embracing me
Oh Lord I’d be lost
But for the grace of God
–Keith Urban