I have never realized how good I have it until I have come here. And I have never realized how much I have to be grateful for until I have come here.
On my very first day in my city, on my way to my new home from the airport, I saw a women walking on the side of a hill with a basket on her back full of vegetables. I'm sure that she was on her way to sell said vegetables on the side of some street with many other competitors also trying to sell the exact same thing.
During the cold first month of living here, I constantly saw many people sitting on their baskets, gathered around a small fire trying to keep warm. All this was happening while I sat in my apartment complaining about the heater that I did have.
Almost every day I see disabled people begging on the streets for money or teenagers with no limbs singing to the people passing by hoping someone will take pity on them. I am constantly walking on streets that are poorer than poor, wondering how people are getting by on what little that they have. There are always people rummaging through the trash cans collecting the plastic bottles that others have thrown away. There are always people dragging carts down the road with, what is probably, their only possessions.
Today I was out on a walk just about a mile from where I live. We were walking by the river and came across the above pictured house. The first time I walked by it, I didn't think anything of it and continued with my conversation I was having with Shelby. On our way back was when I realized that this is someone's home. Someone lives there. In fact, the happiest little boy ran outside to get a better look at us and then quickly ran back inside the door. The door, that wasn't even a door. Just some plastic that was draped over the side. That is when I realized that someone lived there and someone called this little place their home. When the little boy ran back inside I got a glimpse of what it looked like. It was dark and tiny with only a few things inside but the little boy was happy.
This is when I was reminded that I don't need "things" to be happy. I have enough. Actually, I have more than enough. I think most of us do. There have been times in my life when I thought that I had it hard. Like when all my hair started falling out or when I spent months studying for the hardest test of my life and wondered if I would ever be able to pass it. No matter how hard I think I may have it at times, there are people who have it way worse than I do. Yes, it is sad that I had to come all the way to China to figure that out. I'm ashamed that I had to come clear across the world to realize how much I have to be grateful for. I know I don't thank the Lord enough for all that He has given me. I don't have to carry vegetables on my back to a street corner to try to earn money. I don't have to huddle around a small fire on the side walk to try to keep warm. I don't have to sing to the people walking by on the street. I don't have to rummage through garbage cans looking for plastic bottles. And I don't live in a house made of plastic and a couple boards. I have it so good and I need to remember that. I shouldn't have had to come all the way to China to realize my blessings but I am grateful that I finally have realized them and I hope I never forget.
This is only one of the many lessons that I have learned while living in China.
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