If you woke up this morning with more health than illness…you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation … you are ahead of 500 million people in the world. If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest,torture, or death…you are more blessed than three billion people in the world. If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep…you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace … you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.If your parents are still alive and still married … you are very rare, even in the United States and Canada. 

50% of the world’s population are malnourished. 

80% live in substandard housing.

67% cannot read.

24% have no access to electricity

7% have access to the internet

1% has a college education

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful…you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy — because we will always want to have something else or something more. –Brother David Steindl-Rast

For a history of Thanksgiving, click here.