Count Your Blessings!

Are you ever jealous of your friends or other people you see? Do you envy their good looks, talents, personality, job, family, church, friendships, money, clothes, opportunities etc.?

Our very first photo together!

When I was around 20yrs, I attended a friend's wedding. I was in a relationship with my future husband at the time. As I thought about this friend's relationship with her groom, it seemed to me like she had everything easy. I faced difficulties in our relationship for several reasons. My man was from a different country and culture. He couldn't speak English very well, so communication was difficult. He was from a different kind of church, which meant lots of issues to talk through and work out. He lived 41/2 hours away, which meant getting to know each other was very slow. Also, I had always hoped for a short relationship before marriage, but instead it was stretched over 3 years.
This friend didn't have most of these challenges and I started to feel jealous.
All of a sudden I felt very ashamed of myself when I remembered her family situation. Her parents were divorced and at her wedding she had all the awkwardness that brings.  I didn't have that.
True, I had my difficulties, but my friend had hers, too, and there was no reason for me to be jealous. I wouldn't have swapped my problems for hers and she probably wouldn't have swapped hers for mine.
I was even more ashamed a few years later when I found out that she and her husband are unable to have children, while I've had no trouble in that area.
I have a friend who has her mother living quite close. As my mother lives 41/2 hours away, sometimes I've felt a little jealous of this friend. And then one day she confessed that she is sometimes envious that I have so many sisters (as she has none). That made me laugh because here I was envying her! But we each have our blessings to be thankful for.
I thought I had this lesson learned, but just this week I was watching a video of a young
lady and she was talking about a particular blessing in her life. Once again I started to feel discontented and envious, because what she has is something I would love. Then I remembered! That young lady had 3 miscarriages in a row, while I have had 3 healthy children in a row. I was convicted again!
We all have troubles, so don't look at the good things in others lives and feel jealous . They also have trials that you wouldn't want. And there are probably things you have that they would love to have!