A Story of Gratitude

In his book, “Money – A User’s Manual,” Bob Russel describes a farmer who once grew discontent with his farm. He griped about the lake on his property always needing to be stocked and managed. And those fat cows lumbering through his pasture. And all the fencing and feeding – what a headache!

 He called a realtor and made plans to list the farm. A few days later, the agent phoned, wanting approval for the advertisement she intended to place in the local paper. She read the ad to the farmer. It described a lovely farm in an ideal location, quiet and peaceful, contoured with rolling hills, carpeted with soft meadows, nourished by a fresh lake, and blessed with well-bred (and fed) livestock. The farmer said, “Read that ad to me again!”

After hearing it a second time, he declared, “I’ve changed my mind. I’m not going to sell. I’ve been looking for a place like that all my life.”

Adds author Max Lucado (“One God, One Life, One Plan”):

 Aren’t we a lot like the farmer? We complain about our family, our friends, our schools, our clothes (and might I add, our jobs, the morning traffic, and out-of-stock items on Black Friday).

But when we look at it from another person’s perspective, we might realize that we already have just what we’re looking for!

God is Great. Be Thankful.