Good morning, boys and girls

Today I want to talk about blessings. Is anyone here learning how to cook? How do you boil water? You go to the sink and turn on the faucet, and out comes the water. You let the water fill a pan and you carefully carry it over to the stove and turn a knob. Or you put the water in a glass bowl and put it in the microwave and touch a button. Soon the water is hot and boiling.

But did you know that many people and children have to carry a big bucket on their head or shoulder far away to a river, and then lug it all back to get their water for boiling. And then they have to go out into the jungle or forest and find sticks to burn for the fire that is going to boil that water.

Aren’t you glad you don’t have to do that? That is a blessing—a gift. Who is it a gift from? God. He wants to make us happy. He cares about us and our needs.

In our bathrooms we have a bathtub and shower and sink and toilet. Many people in the world don’t have these things. They don’t have a toilet that flushes. They have a hole in the ground. They’ve never taken a shower before unless it rains.

Billions of people don’t get to travel in a car or have a radio. How many shirts and pants or dresses do you have? Millions of people only have one change of clothes. We like to hear Candi play the piano for us at church. There are many churches that don’t have a piano. But the people love to sing even without music.

Aren’t you thankful for what you have?

But, you know, it happens quite often that we forget how nice it is to have the gifts God gives us. We don’t appreciate them, so how can we appreciate and love Him? That is when people stop loving and caring for each other. When nobody loves each other, when people are cold and selfish and unhappy, it means only one thing—they forgot the things God has done for them.

Are you ever sad and lonely? Could it be that you have forgotten that God loves you?

Now sometimes we are sad because we have been punished. Sometimes our parents take away some of the nice things they have given us. But did that mean that our mommies and daddies didn’t love us? Did that mean that God doesn’t love us because He could have stopped mommy and daddy from punishing us?

No. Our mommies and daddies know what’s best for us. They love us too much and are too wise to let us do just whatever we want to do. And God is so wise that He has given parents to raise up the children they love to become good, loving people who care about others and not just about themselves.

Do you know somebody who only cares about himself or herself? You don’t want to be like that, do you? No! You want to be unselfish and helpful and make other people happy. You want to be a blessing!

And what if you wanted to share your blessings? What if you felt badly for others who don’t have what you have? Do you like candy or dessert after your meals? There are little children around the world who don’t even have one meal a day.

And I bet that if you ever went to your mom and dad and said, “Let’s give up something we love to have and use that money to send overseas,” I bet your parents would be very happy to hear you say that. It would probably make your mom cry, and your dad may not cry but he would be very happy with you. Because what parents want more that anything is for their children to learn to be unselfish and kind. Because they know that that’s the only way their children will be happy. And they want their children to be happy.

Let’s not just receive blessings from God. Let’s share them. You will find you are happier to give a blessing than to receive one. Let’s share what we have. And then we and everyone will be really happy.