As I was sitting in the dentist chair this morning, I was reminded of just how much I hate going to get my teeth cleaned. The hygenist doing the cleaning was as nice as can be, even giving me some goggles to wear while she polished my teeth. Still, I was counting the minutes to when I would be done.
As I was suffering through, I began to think of how good I have it. Here I was sitting in a nice, warm office, with a flat screen TV with reports of what’s happening in Haiti in the background. How could I complain about having to get my teeth cleaned? How many people in developing countries never even get to have there teeth looked at by a dentist, much less have them cleaned on a regular basis?
This thought gave me a little perspective on my life. 2 weeks ago it was miserably cold here in KC, but I had a warm house to live in, blankets to sleep under, and friends and family to call if I got lonely. How many people in the world outside of the U.S. and some countries in Europe could say the same?
CNN reported that more money has been given to relief in Haiti than was given for Katrina relief. I wonder…as our country faces this economic recession, if the opportunity to give to others will change our focus from our problems and reminding us of the people who go through their day wondering where there next meal will come from.