Count your blessings
Alberto González Muñoz
SUMMARY: A woman in church constantly complained about small inconveniences and was always in a bad mood. When the pastor visited her, she complained about pain in her arm. The pastor tried to cheer her up by reminding her of the many blessings in her life, such as her age, family, and home. The woman was surprised but ended up smiling and realizing that her pain was nothing compared to the many blessings in her life. The moral is to value the many blessings we have in life and not let small inconveniences bring us down.
An elderly woman who regularly attended the first church where I worked when I graduated from seminary, constantly complained and perceived the small inconveniences of life as if they were enormous tragedies. The slightest illness or disease managed to plunge her into a great depression. I went to visit her because she had a pain in her arm and I found her, as always, complaining and extremely distressed, sitting in a corner of his house. His face was clearly dejected. Trying to cheer her up, I greeted her with sympathy and affection and expressed my best wishes:
"Sister, you will have pain in your arm but you look very good, you have a long life ahead of you!"
Instead of liking my words, she took offense and replied contemptuously:
- A long life ahead? It is clear that you do not have the pain that I am suffering. Since you are so young, you don't realize what an old woman like me can feel. If I were like you, I wouldn't complain about anything either.
His words were said bitterly, as if my youth and my health bothered him. And right there he began a detailed description of all his family pains, calamities, and afflictions.
I listened to him calmly, as he always did, thinking about how to cheer her up. Honestly, more than listening to her, I was preparing my speech for when she finished. After all, he had heard the same story many times and was already a little tired of his litanies. So when he gave me a chance, I said:
"Forgive me what I'm going to tell you." You are much better than me! Know what? He is 80 years old. You have lived a long life, you have a family, children, grandchildren and many people who love and care for you, although you do not seem to realize that much. She has a good home, a husband who still lives and who adores her. I, however, am only 20 years old, what do you think? I am far from my family, I live alone, I have not yet married and the worst thing is that I do not know how long I am going to live. Your eighty years, ma'am, no one takes them off and mine remains to be seen. In short, you are much better than me. Look, I am not going to pray for your pain in your arm, what I will do is thank God for the many blessings that he has given you, and you are going to pray for me to ask him to grant me a long life and that I can enjoy even some of the many blessings you have already enjoyed. What do you think?
I admit that my speech was a bit aggressive. However, she opened her eyes in surprise ... but ended up smiling, something not very common for her, and taking my hands she said:
-You're right. This is the best sermon I have ever heard from you! Actually the pain in my arm is nothing to write home about.
We have to value the many blessings we receive in life and not let ourselves be depressed over trifles.
God bless you!
"Sister, you will have pain in your arm but you look very good, you have a long life ahead of you!"
Instead of liking my words, she took offense and replied contemptuously:
- A long life ahead? It is clear that you do not have the pain that I am suffering. Since you are so young, you don't realize what an old woman like me can feel. If I were like you, I wouldn't complain about anything either.
His words were said bitterly, as if my youth and my health bothered him. And right there he began a detailed description of all his family pains, calamities, and afflictions.
I listened to him calmly, as he always did, thinking about how to cheer her up. Honestly, more than listening to her, I was preparing my speech for when she finished. After all, he had heard the same story many times and was already a little tired of his litanies. So when he gave me a chance, I said:
"Forgive me what I'm going to tell you." You are much better than me! Know what? He is 80 years old. You have lived a long life, you have a family, children, grandchildren and many people who love and care for you, although you do not seem to realize that much. She has a good home, a husband who still lives and who adores her. I, however, am only 20 years old, what do you think? I am far from my family, I live alone, I have not yet married and the worst thing is that I do not know how long I am going to live. Your eighty years, ma'am, no one takes them off and mine remains to be seen. In short, you are much better than me. Look, I am not going to pray for your pain in your arm, what I will do is thank God for the many blessings that he has given you, and you are going to pray for me to ask him to grant me a long life and that I can enjoy even some of the many blessings you have already enjoyed. What do you think?
I admit that my speech was a bit aggressive. However, she opened her eyes in surprise ... but ended up smiling, something not very common for her, and taking my hands she said:
-You're right. This is the best sermon I have ever heard from you! Actually the pain in my arm is nothing to write home about.
We have to value the many blessings we receive in life and not let ourselves be depressed over trifles.
God bless you!
