Be Thankful for your loved ones, your health and your wealth

I am thankful for 3 things - my loved ones, my health such as it is, and my wealth. 

By this I mean:

Father, who holds us in
your hands, help your
children.

Our Loved Ones - I have a few loved ones. Not many. Most of my relatives have died. I have a spouse and I have a few relatives left, who I care about, and hopefully they care about me. Some people in this world, have no partner, no lover, no children, no relatives left alive and and few friends. Pray for all who are left alone in this world.

Our Health - I have some health, which has diminished with age. I do not take health for granted. It is there one day and gone the next. 

In 2009, I knew of 5 people who died:
Bev - aged 48 of cancer

Steve - aged 68 of Lou Gehrigs's Disease (A.L.S)
Bill - aged 67 of Alzheimer's Disease

Len - age 68 of Parkinson's Disease

Bob - age 55 of cancer

Some of these people were relatively young. None of them were extremely elderly. Pray for those who are ill. Pray for the dying. 

Our wealth - Be happy for what money and possessions and property you have. I have a close male relative, age 42, who has literally only the shirt on his back and a cell-phone to his name. Those are his entire worldly possessions. He doesn't have a permanent place to live on his own - he lives with whatever relatives or friends will take him in; he doesn't have a car - he has lost his driver's license; he has no furniture and not a computer or a TV; he has no charge card and no savings account and no pension or savings for the future; he doesn't even own a Tea-Towel or a toaster. He has absolutely nothing. He is like "Blanche Dubois" in the movie "Streetcar Named Desire" in which she stated "I have always relied on the kindness of strangers." And he does. 

Pray for those in this world who have nothing, even if it is due to their own doing and if it is their own fault. Ask God for mercy for them anyway. 

God help us all.