“Never take things for granted!”
How many times have we been reminded of this in our world of modern conveniences?
“I don’t like it!” — Be grateful! Some poor orphan would glad for a PBJ sandwich!
“Clean my room again?” — Be thankful you have a room to clean! Not every kid has a room to clean.
“It’s too hot outside!” — Be glad you don’t live in Africa.
“It’s too cold!” — Bundle up, and be happy you live in America, not on the North Pole!
Okay, admit it, we’ve all done it! We complain when things are not the way that we like them — the washer breaks down, the car has a flat tire, the faucet is leaking, we had a cold shower. We’re all prone to forget the blessings of modern conveniences at times, and we’re tempted to murmur and complain about them instead.
Having grown up as a little Amish girl, I’ve learned that having lived without the “necessities” of the modern culture now gives me a deep appreciation for the “normal” things in life.
In the Amish world, we did not have many of the modern conveniences that we now utilize every single day!
Our Modern Bathroom — We no longer have to run to the outhouse after dark or on a freezing winter night like we did when I was young! And instead of a bath in a big galvanized tub half full with water which was heated on the wood stove, we now enjoy a warm shower. Growing up, I admired “fancy bathrooms,” but never thought I’d be privileged to have one of my own in the future!
Our Vehicle — It keeps us warm when traveling on a cold winter day and dry during a summer thunderstorm. It definitely beats riding in the buggy in the winter while our toes felt as if they were frozen or fussing with an umbrella that the wind had turned inside out, soaking us to the skin!
Our Clothes Washer and Dryer — We can now simply toss the clothes in, push the buttons, and eventually they come out clean and dry! When we were Amish, we needed to heat and carry many buckets of water to the machine. There’s no longer the need to hang the clothes outside on the clothesline to dry in the fresh summer breeze or “freeze dry” them (and our fingers) in the winter.
Click here to read my post about an Amish laundry day.
Our Refrigerator and Freezer — We can enjoy healthy frozen foods instead of destroying the nutrition by canning them. Because of the refrigerator, we can now keep milk more than a few days without spoiling!
Our Cell Phones — We no longer need to disturb the neighbors to use their phone while trying to justify not having one of our own.
Our Electricity — As an Amish girl, I needed to fill the oil lamps and then light them with a match stick. Now, we simply flip the switch and we have light!
I never understood what we were missing until we made the switch to a modern “English” lifestyle!
Most of us take things for granted until we are forced to live without the “things.” We would all do well to count the blessings of our modern conveniences. Remember, not everybody has that privilege, some by choice!
In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thes. 5:18
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Read more about my every day life as I grew up in the Amish lifestyle in my book,
The Greater Inheritance.