I’m starting to really dislike this book. Today’s message is about awakening the gratitude in your heart for your many blessings. That’s not what’s causing the downward spiral of my enjoyment of the book. That’s a wonderful message, one I try to adhere to.
What’s bothering me is my impression that the author was writing from a place of if not elitism, then certainly a position of comfort so extreme she can’t even understand how awful she sounds with sentences like this:
“One ordinary morning I realized I was emotionally and physically exhausted from concentrating on things I wanted to buy but couldn’t afford.”
Really? What was she, 13 years old? Wow.
I had to force myself to read the rest. She does redeem herself to a point by taking stock of her life and realizing “I was a very rich woman” who was experiencing a “temporary cash flow,” although even that latter term screams elitism to me. Poor people don’t have cash flow problems. They have poverty problems.
As she concludes, a bit of humility does slip into the text.
“My heart begins to overflow with gratefulness.”
My problem is I’m wondering how grateful she’d be if she were serving her family canned beans and dollar store hot dogs, on stale bread as rolls, for dinner.
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In late 2015 I started reading “Simple Abundance” a daily devotional by Sarah Ban Breathnach. It’s more than a devotional; it’s a guide to recognizing, and seeking, the joy in each moment. I haven’t quite reached that state, but I’m hopeful. I’ve decided to share my daily thoughts on this blog. I’d love to hear yours as well.