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Listen while you read: "Under His Wings"1
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My 2022 New Year's resolution has been to acknowledge God's blessings in my life, and to continually give God recognition and thanks. I've found that when I focus on my blessings, my discontentments and disappointments have been diminished, or have been rendered insignificant.
Last month, shortly after turning 72, I came across an historic life expectancy chart that both surprised and helped me. It showed that prior to the sweeping public health advancements of the 19th century (clean drinking water, sterilization, sewage systems, and medical advancements), the average life expectancy was a meagre 35 years of age!
That average lifespan of only 35 years prior to the 19th century covers most of our human existence. One could say that, at 72, I have lived the equivalent of two life spans, and I'm now working on my third life!
Not only have I had the blessing of living twice as long as most people previously did, the quality of my life has been a vast improvement over other times that I might have been born into. In 1665, the London philosopher, Thomas Hobbs, famously described British life as "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short".
Blessed even as Christians, we often nurse our complaints about our living condition, our health, or our financial woes, typically based relative to the condition of others we know.
But what right do I, who have lived two average lifetimes (and great ones at that!), have to complain about what usually amount to not much more than minor life discomforts or inconveniences?
How can I complain about my hearing not being as good as it was 20 years ago, or about my not-as-sharp memory, or about possibly not living to see my great-grandchildren, if indeed, I've been blessed with two lives?
In fact, entering my "third life", what could I legitimately complain about at all? About what aspect of our life do we really have the right to complain? Besides, Moses made it clear that because our loving God arranges our lives for our good and His glory, complaining about our lives is grumbling against God:
Exodus 16:8b – The Lord hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord. (NKJV)
1 Samuel 12:24 – Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. (ESV)
Luke 6:38a – Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. (NIV)
John 10:10b – I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (NRSV)
Prayer: Loving God, we have been the recipients of much to be grateful for. Allow us to dwell on the riches of Your generosity toward us, such that our complaining may cease, that we may see only the myriad of ways in which You want to bless us, and that we may be grateful. Amen.
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About the author:
Rick Potter <rpotte@hotmail.com>
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
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Thank you.
Keep going, my friend.
A great reminder to be thankful.
Well said, Rick! Memorable! Helps me!
Thank you, Rick, for this interesting and helpful devotional.
Thank you for your devotional on life expectancy. Good to be reminded.
Great post, Rick. Really puts things into perspective for us. Thanks and God bless!
Thank you for this message today. I love the idea of remembering our blessings daily!
Well said, Rick! At 84 I am constantly amazed at God’s graciousness to me and my family.
That does not mean we haven’t had “hiccups” along the way!!!
(Texas)
Good morning, Rick,
Thank you for the reminder that we need to be satisfied with what we have, we tend to concern ourselves with things which are happening to us, but we should be looking at what others have or don’t have and the blessings we receive every day.
Blessings.
Hello
Thank you for your devotional today….of all days for this title. My husband is dealing with congestive heart failure from what I can gather. Praying God’s wisdom and speed for the doctors to treat him and peace and strength for him.
Believing all things are possible.
Thank you for that and God bless.
Greetings Rick and many thanks for this very meaningful devotional. Your message is right on, especially when we see all the painful happenings in parts of the world right now. We must be so grateful and thankful to the Lord for the life we have here in Canada and right here in B.C. Definitely we should not be grumbling or complaining when we have so very much to be thankful for. Our Lord is truly good and gives us great joy as we walk with Him. Blessings for writing.
Dear Rick,
I clicked on the link for the life expectancy chart in your devotional and found a wealth of other charts with interesting information also.
I think it is wonderful to recognize all that we have and not what we don’t have. The saying “we all think it is greener on the other side of the fence” seems to be built into us and we need each day to ask God to help us be grateful for what we have. Thanks for sharing on this about age and how lucky we are when we live so much longer thanks to improved understanding of advancements in how to stay healthy.
Wishing you a long life with many things to be grateful as you recognize how much you already have. Faith in a loving God. Blessings.
Seniors are living longer, but they are often living alone, isolated from their family, especially these days of the pandemic. How can we help? A phone call is helpful.
I certainly related to your message today. I’m 84 and have certainly had a wonderful life and I try not to complain. But when I saw your name I did a double-take. I believe you were our leader on a trip to Europe, Oberammergau.
The tour company added us to your church group.
Your message was meaningful and it also brought back wonderful memories. I was traveling with my husband, my brother and my sister-in-law. They have all gone to be with the Lord but tonight I have had some wonderful memories of them on that trip.