a little perspective goes a long way

Laurel was at work the other day while I was running "daddy day care". I was preparing lunch for the kids, when all of the sudden John declared that he was starving. (From the looks of it, he will most likely take up my interest in drama). I told John that while he might be hungry, he was not starving. He insisted that he was in fact starving, so I quickly made my way to the bookcase and pulled out one of our photo albums that contained pictures of one of my mission trips to Haiti about 10 years ago.

John and I sat down at the kitchen table and I showed him what kids who are starving look like. I showed him the types of houses that they live in (if you want to call it that) and I showed him the street that they live on, and how they take their baths naked right next to the street. He looked at the pictures with awe in his eyes and seemed to reconsider the whole starving idea.

It's easy to forget how good we really have it and sometimes all we need is a little perspective to help bring us back to reality. Like most of the rest of the world, we will celebrate Christmas in just a few days. While money is in short supply at our house and we don't have many gifts to give, I am reminded that we still have more than most of the rest of the world. I am also reminded that Christmas is all about one gift in particular and I already have that one. It's Jesus, who came to this world over 2000 years ago to be our Savior.