Beyond Blessed
One of my favorite classes this semester is a two and a half hour class every Monday night on Ethnic American Literature. After reading several works by Native Americans, Chicano migrant workers and Armenian Americans, and Chinese Americans, the typical classroom discussion about the "American Dream" has been...well...not so typical as our professor has exposed us to many disappointed views of what immigrants had expected for their life in America and what they actually experienced.
Most recently we have been reading "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaleo Hosseni (the author of "Kite Runner"). For those of you who have not read it, it is a historically based novel written from the perspective of two Afghan women brought together during the reign of jihad factions and eventually the Taliban. This book has been extremely troubling to me; making me physically nauseous and mentally distressed from certain passages. There was one night where I didn't even want Burke to hug me due to a horrific scene of an abusive husband in the book and the repulsion it made me feel. (Sorry Burke for getting overly involved in my literature!)
Beyond anything I've been feeling from this class or the readings has been a consuming sense of gratitude. I feel blessed to be a citizen of the United States of America. I feel blessed to have a job, to have food in our cupboards and a vehicle that runs smoothly. I feel blessed to be attending college to receive higher education. I feel blessed to be from a successful, middle-class, highly functioning and love filled home. I feel blessed to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints, to know that Jesus is my Savior and to know where we've been and where we're going after this life. I feel blessed that I married a man who respects me, who cherishes me, who laughs with me and who loves me completely. I feel blessed that I live a life devoid of fear, knowing that my husband, my family and my God will protect me. How blessed am I? How many people in the world can say that they have these things? How many people in the United States? How many people in St. George? Or even members of the church?
I don't know why I've been so blessed - why God has been so good to insignificant me. Why do millions live in fear and poverty while my greatest struggles are missing my husband when he's gone and deciding what kind of career path we want to follow?
After having these things on my mind for several days, I found myself deep in thought after leaving work yesterday, headed for my first class. On the side of the road stood a man in a ragged t-shirt with a long beard. He held in his hands a cardboard sign stating: "Homeless. Every little bit helps." A frumpy woman stood at his side looking humiliated. I only had 8 bucks in my wallet, but as I handed it to her out the window she started crying. I only made it 10 feet past them before I began fervently expressing gratitude to my Heavenly Father for the way he has always watched over me, though I deserve it no more than any of his other billions of children.
The day before, a kid from my class who is a youth minister for another faith said with conviction, "I believe that we will be held accountable for our acts in this life. We who are blessed to live in this country are among most elite of the entire world and where much has been given, much is required." I loved that he was so bold about what he believed and I completely agreed with his words. Because we have been given so much, we are REQUIRED to give in return in as many ways as we can.
The question I have for myself and for each of you - the bountiously blessed - is: what are we doing to give back?
Most recently we have been reading "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaleo Hosseni (the author of "Kite Runner"). For those of you who have not read it, it is a historically based novel written from the perspective of two Afghan women brought together during the reign of jihad factions and eventually the Taliban. This book has been extremely troubling to me; making me physically nauseous and mentally distressed from certain passages. There was one night where I didn't even want Burke to hug me due to a horrific scene of an abusive husband in the book and the repulsion it made me feel. (Sorry Burke for getting overly involved in my literature!)
Beyond anything I've been feeling from this class or the readings has been a consuming sense of gratitude. I feel blessed to be a citizen of the United States of America. I feel blessed to have a job, to have food in our cupboards and a vehicle that runs smoothly. I feel blessed to be attending college to receive higher education. I feel blessed to be from a successful, middle-class, highly functioning and love filled home. I feel blessed to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints, to know that Jesus is my Savior and to know where we've been and where we're going after this life. I feel blessed that I married a man who respects me, who cherishes me, who laughs with me and who loves me completely. I feel blessed that I live a life devoid of fear, knowing that my husband, my family and my God will protect me. How blessed am I? How many people in the world can say that they have these things? How many people in the United States? How many people in St. George? Or even members of the church?
I don't know why I've been so blessed - why God has been so good to insignificant me. Why do millions live in fear and poverty while my greatest struggles are missing my husband when he's gone and deciding what kind of career path we want to follow?
After having these things on my mind for several days, I found myself deep in thought after leaving work yesterday, headed for my first class. On the side of the road stood a man in a ragged t-shirt with a long beard. He held in his hands a cardboard sign stating: "Homeless. Every little bit helps." A frumpy woman stood at his side looking humiliated. I only had 8 bucks in my wallet, but as I handed it to her out the window she started crying. I only made it 10 feet past them before I began fervently expressing gratitude to my Heavenly Father for the way he has always watched over me, though I deserve it no more than any of his other billions of children.
The day before, a kid from my class who is a youth minister for another faith said with conviction, "I believe that we will be held accountable for our acts in this life. We who are blessed to live in this country are among most elite of the entire world and where much has been given, much is required." I loved that he was so bold about what he believed and I completely agreed with his words. Because we have been given so much, we are REQUIRED to give in return in as many ways as we can.
The question I have for myself and for each of you - the bountiously blessed - is: what are we doing to give back?
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