One Room Hut and Happy

It is the Thanksgiving week. In a America we take this time to remember what we have and how blessed we truly are. Mentally I know this fact, that I am rich compared to the worlds population. That I have so much stuff, friends, family, freedom; there is not much else I could ask for. How often do I though? How often do I look at others possessions or positions in life and want them? This past week I was reminded of my trip to Africa.
I went to this little village in the bush of Cameroon. If you looked around you would see mud huts. Children running around in clothes not gender specific, they just wore what they could find. Their water was drawn from a stream which was not filtered, causing disease to take many of the villagers. Animals lived with the people, and there was no plumbing or electricity. The days were extremely hot, but the nights bitter cold and they didn't have the proper provisions.
Yet these people scurried out of their one room huts to see the foreigners. They had the biggest smile on their face and they were happy, they greeted me and my companions with warmth. It wasn't the fake 'how are you today?' question that I find myself mindlessly asking people I see. These men and women looked you in the eye and said thank you for coming. Every single day they put our needs before their own.
When we were setting up camp the villagers were so proud to show us the outhouse they made just for us. You see, they didn't even have an outhouse, but they wanted to make us feel welcome so they cleared an entire area in the jungle for us to sleep and make a restroom. The entire week these people where trying to give us gifts and help us. At one point in the trip a friend of mine gave out a little rubber ball for the kids to play with, they thought it was the coolest toy ever invented. It was just a 25 cent rubber ball, but the kids where enthralled with the little piece of plastic.
I was struck by the fact that these people literally are starving and have nothing, but they are happy. When they would pray they would just go on and on about how much God has given them. If they can kneel on the dirt floor surrounded by the night sky and praise God, how much more should I?
I have found that during this season each year where I should be spending extra time thinking of how blessed I am, I find that I am focusing on Christmas presents, the next model of an electronics, or the the many deals that are coming out. I quickly lose my joy and I definitely am not thankful. The villagers were happy and thankful to God for what they had because they weren't focusing on what they didn't have. These people were not looking for satisfaction or pleasure with the newest toy, they were looking at fulfillment in Jesus.
I am truly blessed. God has given me so much. Not only did He give me eternal life, but He continues to give me grace every day. The Lord reminded me that I need to not just say that I am thankful, but truly be joyful and grateful for the things that I have, the position of life I am in, and for the things I do not have. Thanksgiving should't be a one time thing throughout the year, but a choice to be joyful in the Lord daily. God knows who I am and what I need. Even if I have nothing on this earth I am still blessed beyond measure because I have a friend, a Savior, a completer, and His name is Jesus, really what more is needed than this.