Give this Thanks

I've seen it everywhere.

"Give thanks for all the blessings you have"
"make a list of all the things you're grateful for this year"
"Your blessed so much. Think of all those kids in India who don't even have water"

Hm.
If you're like me, most of that blows right past me. I've never made one of those lists. I think about Africa sometimes, but I don't really think to much. For me, Thanksgiving is a passing holiday. Here today, gone tomorrow, half the time, I really don't even consider my "blessings."
But sometimes...you have to think about things.

To bad most kids I know think they can go through life not thinking about much, or at least through their highschool years. The truth is, that's not how to live. You cannot live your life without thinking. It becomes just a waste of time. If we seek to do things with our lives, we must think.
One of the things we need to think about, especially in this particular season is how much we have. You've probably heard that a million times, but how many times have you thought through the implications of it. How many times have you thought through the crying out to God these men and women in third world countries are doing every second of their lives as they live in such horrendous conditions. And there are people there who don't know Christ, imagine living your life in such conditions with no God to fly to.
I go to the gym *almost* everyday. Most of them have no such option.
I have what they call "meat" on me. Those kids down there are sticks because of hunger.
I have clothes...yeah the list goes on and on.
And it's not like this has no effect unless I compare myself to other people. The fact is, flat out, we are God's people right? We are his? He is our God. We belong to him. We have ties with him that are amazing, different from any other relationship, and he wants to hear his children's gratitude and praise. We owe it to him too.
So,
Think
and
Think again.

That is reason to praise.