I remember once being asked, “What household item or luxury could you not live without?”
Take a moment to answer that for yourself.
In the group I was with, answers varied—some mentioned a washing machine, a dishwasher, a car, even makeup.
My immediate response was water, especially hot water.
During my early 20s, I served as a missionary for my church in a South American country for 18 months. It was there that I learned what a luxury hot water truly was, as it was rarely available, and even clean water was not guaranteed.
Though hot water seems commonplace to many of us today, having experienced its scarcity, I am now constantly aware of the blessing of both clean and hot water.
As Dieter F. Uchtdorf once said:
“For a large part of human history, communication happened at the speed of a horse. Sending a message and getting a reply could take days or even months. Today our messages travel thousands of miles into the sky or thousands of meters beneath the oceans to reach someone on the other side of the world, and if there is a delay of even a few seconds, we get frustrated and impatient.
It seems to be human nature: as we become more familiar with something, even something miraculous and awe-inspiring, we lose our sense of awe and treat it as commonplace.”
How true that is! Over the years, I’ve grown so accustomed to the ease of communicating with my children in different parts of the world that I get impatient if the video or audio quality isn’t perfect.
But when I pause to reflect on the miracle of modern communication, I am truly amazed!
We live in an age of everyday miracles, a time filled with so many reasons for gratitude.
As we enter November, with Thanksgiving approaching, and as we prepare to give thanks, I invite you to notice the miracles that surround us each day.
The list of daily miracles and blessings is endless. What a wonderful time and place to be alive!
I’d love to hear the familiar blessings you’ve now seen with new eyes.
Much love,
