Appreciate the Gift

I have a friend who has undergone radiation cancer treatment recently. The side effects were humbling for him. His basic, bodily functions went awry. 

One day, when talking to me about his cancer journey, he smiled and said, “I never thought I would find myself saying that it is a blessing to have basic bodily plumbing work on the days it did, versus days when it’s not working properly.” The gift of having his anatomy work as intended seemed more appreciated by him in his health struggle, when often in his life he never gave such natural bodily functions a second thought.

This conversation echoed what many friends talked about with me when losing electricity due to the August storms. I often heard people saying that they never thought about how lucky they were in the past when the electric power worked for basic human needs: washing clothes, refrigerating food, moving air with fans or air-conditioning, watching TV, using the internet, or recharging phones. There are so many day-to-day blessings that one never gives a second thought about until such things no longer work.

All of this reminded me of Bishop Robert Barron’s book, What Do Their Deaths Demand? In this 61-page reflection, Bishop Barron educates readers on the Christian persecution that is still experienced in many countries in the world today. It is stunning to learn that, in our modern world, many still suffer violence and even death for practicing their faith.

God gives us many blessings in life that go unnoticed and underappreciated. I suggest that, today and every day, we thank God for where we live and what we have been given. We have so many gifts compared to others who may have so few. 

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek