Carpenter Shop - Danyel Carpenter

Last week I needed a fresh perspective; I needed to look at my life with gratitude; thanking Jesus for who He is and all that He has done. Looking at our lives differently means we are not solely focused on our own problems. We see the problems of others; we see how much we have; how truly grateful we are. Sometimes we cannot feel our gratitude until we turn our eyes outward.

We are blessed and our children are blessed. How many women do you know that die in childbirth in our country? How many women do you know that have lost a child due to diarrhea or malnutrition? How many teenage girls do you know who have been forced to marry a much older man only to become his second or third wife? Yet for many women all over the world, this is a very real possibility in their lives.

Here are some pictures that inspired me to live with a fresh perspective.

Fact: Each year, more than 4 million newborns die in their first month - equivalent to the number of babies born in the United States annually.

In this I am grateful for my healthy children who were born in this country. One whild who may have been born with a fatal illness, easily treated here int he States, but it would have been undetected elsewhere. One whild who may have come into this world even earlier without prenatal care and who would have been without the premature infant care so many of our hospitals have.

Fact: In some African countries 90% of the female children are forced to undergo female genitalia mutilation.

In this I am grateful for parents who were just as excited to have a daughter born to them as they would have been to have a son born. I am grateful that I am married to a man who is not afraid to allow his little girls to grow up and become complete women.

Fact: This woman set herself on fire to escape the horrors of her life; forced to marry a hnusband of her father's choosing at the age of 15, as a second wife, living in a house with 20 of her husband's relatives; not being able to leave the house.

I am gratful for my one husband; I grateful that I had an opportunity to fall in love with him and marry him out of my choice.

So what do we do with our gratitude? We recognize the downpour of Christ's love for us; a love that we do not deserve; and yet He poured out extravagantly on us nonetheless. Then we bring that love to the rest of the world. Let's be aware of more than just our corner; let's inform others what we have learned. Let's ask God what He specifically wants each one of us to do.

For more infomation on these topics and opportunities to help change the world go to www.worldvision.com