Be Grateful in ALL Things

This morning, I read a message calling for all out revolution. But I don't think that word means what those calling for it think it means. There's a level of ire in this nation that is pitting husband against wife, wife against husband, and child against parent. It needs to stop. And we won't stop it by having a revolution. Be grateful.

My generation won't fight the revolution, we'll suffer the revolution and die wishing it had never begun. And the next generation... The ones fighting it, don't know what they're fighting for. They're just angry, filled with ire, and fighting mad because they were promised something they're not getting.

People, we screwed up. We promised our children life would be fun, easy, and worth living, and to be quite honest, it isn't. It's hard work to earn a living, raise a family, and live in this world. It's a damnable job, but they've got to do it. And to find the resources, the heart strings, and the treasure of the ages to fill up their hearts with gratitude, we've got to show them the way.

The Conversation that Ignited This Post:

"political knife-fighting at unparalleled levels"

Establishment Republicans have been fighting the Dems with olive branches. They have been playing by the rules while the Dems violate every rule and hire violent thugs to riot.

Recently, the Dems upgraded their metaphorical knives with long range bombers. They have been carpet bombing the nation.

I don't want the GOP to respond proportionally. I want the GOP to use overwhelming metaphorical force to annihilate the Dems. Sadly, the GOP is still holding onto their olive branch.

Dems are hypocrites, criminals and liars. Every Dem in the federal gov't belongs in a cell or a noose. Those that have not committed treason or lesser crimes are complicit in them all. Not only have Dems provided aid and comfort to America's enemies, they have given them hundreds of billions of dollars, and uranium.

The founders would be shooting by now.

My response:

Guys, I get it. I probably agree more than disagree with you, the problem is that our generation won't be fighting the revolution, and the next generation doesn't know what they are fighting for. So the fight isn't there. We've given them something that isn't worth fighting for. We have to change that, and when we do... There won't be a fight. There will be a win.

Let me restructure this a little bit...

For my lovely friends above who are angry at the rioting mass of vandalism and violence igniting in communities around the country, we have some responsibility for that anger and frustration. We allowed the continuance of entitlement to drift through the past several generations, and took generously from our parents when they offered a life better than they'd had. We continued that ideal, and gave our children more than they'd had.

I remember quite honorably seeking to provide 'entertainment for my children' in my home town where work was plentiful, and everyone had chores to be done. But I wanted them to have something "fun to do" after a hard day at school.  I truly wanted my darling children to have fun after school, and we home schooled. The other kids were spending hours in school, every day sitting in a desk, and I wanted them to have something FUN to do afterward too.

I promoted sports, band, community playgrounds, community centers where pools, sports equipment and all those FUN things were available to our children. I had wanted those things for myself, and was quite frustrated that I had chores after school, and homework, and other things to do - things that kept me busy, active, and helping in my community - fun things that provide entertainment and benefit to others.

Here's the Rub.

By providing fun things to do that didn't include helping others, being a blessing to their community, or working to benefit our family and friends, we did a huge disservice to our children. We taught them that fun without purpose was a requirement, something they deserved, for doing nothing. They didn't EARN that fun. We provided it, and asked nothing from them. We've raised a nation full of spoiled brats who don't have a work ethic, because we taught them none. We gave them anything they wanted and asked for nothing in return. And worse...

Much worse than that!

It's FAR worse than that...

In fact, this is the worst part of the whole message.

Parents, grandparents, adults, people of MY GENERATION...

We stole their purpose for living and gave them nothing in return.

We just out-right stole their purpose for living and gave them in return a sense of entitlement, a sense that they deserved to have FUN without responsibility, and without earning it. We took away their will to provide for themselves, and by continuing to provide for them, provide entertainment, and a whole slew of other 'entitlements' such as housing, food, clothing, and health insurance, we continue to steal away their purpose.

They have no need for anything, therefore no will do work constructively to provide for themselves, their families, or their country.

They've become ungrateful brats.

And Parents, You're No Better!

Your ungrateful attitude, victimized servitude, and egotistical self indulgence have all destroyed their joy. You stole that too.

Instead of being Grateful for this blessed nation, those wonderful forefathers who provided so well for YOU, and these abundant blessings and treasures you've been given, you cry and whine your way to work every day at jobs you hate. Who work through the day and complain and whine about having to be there, about the boss, about the co-workers, and about the people you serve - called customers.

I know, I do it too. I've complained about my paying customers asking for more and more services, instead of billing them for the extra hours they command. Instead of 'doing my job' and telling my customers that they've used up the time they've paid for and they will be billed for additional services, I work and complain.

It's time to STOP complaining.

Be grateful in ALL things!

Not in some things. Not in things that are fun, and wonderful, and blessed. Be grateful in ALL things. ALL things. That word means EVERY THING. EVERY little thing you have, every little thing you don't have, every single thing that comes up, in every single moment of your day - find a way to be grateful.

FIND it. Look for it. SHARE THE GRATITUDE.

I can make this personal right now and say how grateful I am for my customers, for work I absolutely LOVE and for children whom I adore. I'm grateful that my children are hard working, ethical, with high standards, and personal esteem that drives them each to be better at their jobs, better at their lives, and better... Just BETTER.

That doesn't make them BETTER than anyone else, but it makes them better than they were yesterday, because they keep raising the bar for themselves.

You see, I never really understood that quote that says, "The only person you have to be better than, is the person you were yesterday!" until now. I understand it. The purpose of life is to continuously be improving the person you are right now. Dream to be better. Set goals to be better. Improvement is your purpose of life. Improving yourself.

Be a better person today than you were yesterday. Be grateful that you have today!

Gratitude. It's a thing. It's a REAL thing. And we should ALL be more grateful for EVERY single thing in our lives.

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 By Jan Verhoeff


Article Source: Be Grateful in ALL Things