A man and his wife eat alligator for the first time at a fancy restaurant. They really enjoy it and vow to return again. In Brazil a fisherman falls into the water while running his nets and is eaten by an alligator. In China a new law is enacted limiting each family to one child only. This new requirement took effect immediately without much complaint. In the U.S. Coke slightly changes their formula and people almost riot in the streets. In the suburbs a stray dog scatters a homeowner’s garbage. The man of the house is furious and promises that this will never happen again. In the jungles of Bolivia, a wild dog almost wipes out a family’s flock of chickens. They’re thankful a few of the chickens were spared and do the best they can. Deep in the Congo villagers are routinely bitten by mosquitoes from sleeping without mosquito nets and suffer from Malaria without treatment. In America populated areas are systematically sprayed by truck, eliminating most of the flying biting varmints. In Chi-na a man speaks out against the ruling party, disappears one night and is never seen again. Over here our leaders are joked about every week on Saturday Night Live and sometimes make guest appearances to actually join in with the actors making fun of them. In the Middle East a town is attacked and taken over by radical extremists one night. The people must change their religion to their way of thinking or be killed. In our country religious freedom is paramount throughout the land. In this country drug abuse is a major problem and poor countries have no drugs even those medically needed.
Yes, we have it made in this country but often lose sight of this. If you, like myself, have spent your entire life living in the land of the plenty things are often taken for granted and this is human nature. As a young man I spent a few days in Mexico and was shocked with the extreme poverty that I witnessed. When I crossed that border, I immediately left the land of plenty and entered the land of… well not that much.
America became a great country because of the people living within our borders and we must all work together to keep a good thing going. So, the next time you go to church, offer to teach a Sunday school class, or invite a friend to church. Help a neighbor who has been through a tough spell or pick out a worthy charity and contribute. Take a kid fishing or visit a nursing home. These acts will help America continue to be the greatest country on earth.
