A Lesson from a Careless Grandma

I was listening to the book Smart Thinking recently and came upon an interesting story. Although it wasn’t true, it made an interesting point.

A Day at the Beach
It seems a grandmother was at the beach with her grandson. They were playing and having a great time enjoying the sand and the cool ocean breeze. The grandmother was filled with joy as the toddler was laughing and playing with his bucket and shovel.

Without warning a huge wave came and swept the babe out to sea. She became frantic and panicked, trying to reach the boy, but the current was too strong. In desperation she cried out to God, “Please God! This is my only grandson. Save him!”

Just at that moment a huge wave came crashing in with the boy safely deposited on the beach, completely well. The grandmother took one look at her precious grand baby, looked up to heaven, and said “He had a hat.”

Where Is Your Focus?
We laugh and we look at the grandmother and shake our head at her lack of gratefulness, but are we doing any better? I know I struggle with things I want to accomplish, connections I want to make, business tools I can’t yet afford, and I often look at what I need – what I don’t have.

But at the end of the day, I have a great home. My kids are in good health and in great schools. We have lots of healthy and delicious food, heat, running water, transportation, and so much stuff to have fun and enjoy ourselves. We are blessed.

There is so much to be thankful for. There is so much to enjoy. Life is definitely a challenge, but it’s also a treat. We can be thankful for the life we have or be dismissive about the hat we’re missing.

Today is a gift. Enjoy it. Be thankful for it. Keep your focus on what you have. You may be surprised at how much you have to enjoy.