Are you Really Blessed?

(Post script.  This is another one that I don't feel good about.  It was just a exploration of thoughts.  Challenging my writing)

A good friend of mine posted this photo yesterday.  The heart is great.  Both the message in the photo and the one in my friend.  But honestly, these clever phrases don't move me to much anymore.  I still dig into them though, to see what they might also be saying.  Because I know my friend is trying to communicate that he's grateful for his life and never wants to take everything that he's been blessed with for granted.  He wants to be a good steward of it.  But why don't I get that from these memes?

First, let me say that in now way do I think that my friend that posted this believes the way I'll spin this.  And it's not a judgement on their character in any way whatsoever.  Just something to think about.

Let me start with the part that says, (talking to God) "You have blessed me more than 98% of the people on Earth."  Really? Did God do that?  And if God blessed you so much.  What about the other 98%.  What about the ones in the bottom 10?  The ones living in poverty?  The ones without a roof over their head?  Why would God bless you more than them?   This is why I don't believe any of us are "blessed".  We are a product or circumstance.  You are where you are because that's where you are.  I was born in affluent America.  I don't believe God had any special plan for the logistics of where I was birthed geographically.  But I was born into the 2%.  Let me never take that for granted.  And yes...I think my friend is definitely not taking it for granted.  I just wanted to write about the words.

But lets go back to the top.  "Thanks for my bagel and my hot chocolate....and all the other choices I could have had."  I'm just wondering why you chose the bagel and hot chocolate.  Above ALL the other options you have for quality nutrition that would be good for your body and mind you went with high sugar.  That meal choice might give you a couple hours.  If that.  In our privileged state of being blessed with so many choice for our nutrition, are we making the right ones?  Or are we not even thinking about it.  Are we only picking foods that trick our brains by making us feel good or comforted, but are wreaking havoc on our bodies?  Or are we choosing wisely and eating foods that  will provide us sustenance and long term health?  Real foods.

I'm not saying that you have to be perfect.  But being grateful for being born into a place of privilege and "blessings" doesn't mean you can go into a grocery store and buy whatever you want.  How are you being responsible with your choices in how you care for yourself as well as caring for the other 98% of the world?