I was reading something today that talked about our hopes and dreams, and how in today’s society people just don’t seem to be satisfied. The statement that got my attention in this article was interesting. The author reminded the readers that the things that they have now, and are dissatisfied with, are most likely the things they hoped for yesterday.

I started thinking about my life and reassuring myself that this didn’t apply to me. Man was I wrong.

I remember when I bought my car four years ago I thought it was pretty cool, but then I found out that they made an “SS” version of it. Now all I could do was think about how much I wished I could have had an “SS”. If you are a car nut on any level you can understand the value of an “SS”. If you’re not a car nut, well, you can keep reading but you’ll have to research what an “SS” is. But alas, I digress.

The more I looked at my life and my attitude it started to bother me. I remember living in Alaska without a car and riding a fold up bicycle to work. Of course I didn’t have it as bad as my Dad did when he had to walk to school barefoot in the snow uphill both ways. But, it was rough. I had a wife and an infant daughter. Life without a car was tough.

One day I found a car for sale that was so rusty the front fender was literally held on with duct tape. I kid not. Anyway, I was so proud of that car. I could finally take my family to the grocery store, church and on other adventures. I didn’t care what the car looked like. I was just glad to have it.

So here I am today with my four year old car that only had 4 miles on it when I bought it, and I’m going to cry because it isn’t the “sporty version”.

My point is this. It’s not bad to have dreams and aspirations in life. It’s great to set goals and it’s okay to want good things. However, when we start letting our wants rule our lives we have a problem. So now that I’ve paused for a minute to remember the hopes and dreams of my past, my little car is the coolest thing in the world. I think about myself back in the day and how I would have reacted if someone gave me the car I have now back then.

When you start to hope for better things, take a moment to remember your hopes of yesterday and look around. Look at all the blessings in your life that you were asking for back then and try to find the excitement you had when you first got them.

I think I might get a piece of duct tape and put it on the front fender of my car. Then, maybe, just maybe, I’ll realize just how blessed I am.

 

- Blessings