Have you ever been thankful for porcelain toilets? My husband and I travel to many countries while visiting orphans in our care. Some encounters on these trips include filthy pit latrines or overflowing and non-working toilets. Therefore, we joke about writing a book called “Toilets of the World,” to share some of our more unique experiences without porcelain. And, we found a few rural places in India that the only option was a field instead of proper toilets. Poverty does not give the luxury of clean restrooms to many in the world. Diseases spread because of these unfortunate sanitation situations. When we travel somewhere new, I wait with baited breathe to see if we will have porcelain or not.
Thankful
Are you wondering why I am bringing up toilets on my blog? In light of seeing the kind of poverty that does not allow for clean sanitation reminds me of how blessed I am to live in the developed world. Pit latrines taught me to be thankful for even the littlest things in my life. Therefore, I appreciate our toilets in this country.
“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”
James 1:17 (NIV)
Webster defines thankfulness as “conscious of benefits received.” The Bible gives us many verses about being Thankful. For example, one verse comes to mind as I balance over a pit latrine in a developing country. The verse is 1 Thessalonians 5:18; “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Another verse that I think about is Colossians 4:2; “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.” God instructs us throughout the Bible to give thanks often and in every situation.
Hoarding
In light of our current pandemic, I also appreciate toilet paper. As store shelves empty of this commodity, I remember many bathrooms around the world do not provide any paper. Thankfulness fills my heart when I find some to buy. But some people hoard the TP when they find it in the store in case they run out. Gratefully, God does not hoard His blessings from us. He gives them to us freely. Meanwhile, all He asks in return is to provide Him the thanks and glory.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”
Psalm 118:1 (NIV)
I find it harder to be grateful when things are going well. Why do we forget to be thankful when life is comfortable? I try to find ways to help me to remember to give thanks. I decided to keep a photo of a pit latrine from one of our mission trips to Kenya taped to my computer’s side. This picture reminds me to give thanks in all circumstances. What do you do to remind yourself how blessed you are by God and to always be thankful?
Prayer
Jesus, I am so thankful for my family, home, porcelain toilet, and all you have provided for me. Help me remember to praise you, and thank you for everything in my life. Amen.
Blessings,
Yvonne M. Morgan – author, blogger, and speaker
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
100% of the proceeds from sales of my book, Turning Mountains Into Molehills, help the orphans at Orphan Relief Effort, Inc.
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It’s interesting that, with more, there is less thankfulness. Its so easy to take things for granted, including our health and abilities. But God is merciful in giving it all. Maybe sometimes we need to force ourselves to remember and give thanks. How much better it would be if it came naturally.
I know. I wish it was a lot more natural to be thankful. Maybe someday. Thanks Stephen and God bless
Thank you for this reminder to be thankful in all situations. That is easier said than done at times. I am thankful for His blessings.
It is so much easier said. I am always surprised how often I forget to be thankful. Thanks Melissa and God bless
Thank you for this reminder. And I so agree with Stephen De La Vega’s comment – how sad that the more we have, the less thankful we appear to be. And how that must break God’s heart.
It really must break His heart as He looks around and sees all His has provided us and we don’t thank Him. Thanks Ava. God bless
There’s nothing like the smell and the awkwardness of a squatty potty (give me an open field any time) to cause one to remember the blessings of porcelain. How often we take for granted the incredible luxuries we have in our western prosperous world. Thank you for sharing these thoughts on gratitude, thanksgiving, gratefulness to our good God for every good thing he provides us, a detail we often forget to be thankful for in our daily lives.
We do forget so often and how it must grieve the Father’s heart. I pray for all of us to be more aware of our blessings and offer our thankfulness at least daily. Thanks Melinda. God bless
I have been to Asia with TP in my purse. Yes, you do miss the porcelain and the paper. Thanks for a good one, Yvonne! God bless!
Thanks Nancy. I appreciate your thoughts. God bless
Life has many difficulties and ways we must adjust to the “new normal. ” Gratitude for the little things is an enormously helpful way of grounding and keeping perspective. I admit, I’ve taken my porcelain for granted!
I think we all do. My prayer is for all of us to be thankful daily. Thanks Candice and God bless.
Yvonne, I have been thinking along the same lines. And I am trying to say thankful for what may seem like small blessings, but in reality are incredible gifts when the rest of the world is considered. This would include things like having a toilet and toilet paper, but also having food on the table, a safe home, books to read etc. But my thoughts have landed most is on the fact I have access to running water. How grateful I am to turn on a tap and have water pour out of it. When we have travelled we have been in places where people have had no running water and must walk up and down hills to access water and carry it back in containers. So whenever I open a tap to clean dishes or have a shower I now give thanks. We have so much to be grateful for.
You are so correct, running water is something else we should be very thankful for in our country. I have bathed out of many buckets on mission trips. Thanks for adding your thoughts. Thanks Anne and God bless
Great message, Yvonne. I, too, remember no paper or porcelain toilet on my overseas travels. And I always remember how the Lord encourages us to be thankful “in” all situations. That’s a big difference between being thankful “for” certain things.
It is a big difference as you said. Being thankful in all situations is so much harder than being thankful for stuff. Thanks Karen and God bless
Gratitude is really important. There is SO much we take for granted. I remember coming back from my first mission trip and being so grateful for things like running water and a warm shower and a toilet that flushes. I try to hold onto that gratitude still!
Me too and that is something that makes mission trips special, you learn about thankfulness. Thanks Jessica. God bless
Yvonne, thank you for bringing us back to the overflowing blessings we enjoy here in America. How easily we feel defeated when things don’t go as planned. We forget all the blessings the Lord has already poured out on us before we even eat our breakfast. Running water, clean water, having abundant water to flush toilets, this is something many will never see. Oh Lord, forgive us for our ungrateful hearts. Help us to see your many blessings and share all we can with others.
Amen Melissa. May our hearts always be full of thankfulness to the One who provides. God bless and thanks
I know what you mean about toilets and the lack of in other countries. My husband and t went on a mission’s trip in the Middle East and the sanitation standard was very different than what the the states has. But we were so thankful to be there, ministering the gospel to these beautiful people. Being thankful truly changes our perspective on our current challenges.
It really does change our perspective. Thanks for your comments Marcie. God bless.