Be thankful. It is the only proper response...

This is not something I consider very often, but I think it is really of enormous importance.

In and of myself, apart from all others, I have no rights.

By yourself, like me, you have no rights to anything. Maybe you 'feel' like you do, or you 'think' that you should... but even wishing something relies on things outside of ourselves.

What have you done by yourself? What have you done without the aid of others? What have you made, done or thought that did not begin with or depend on another being? The frightening and real answer is absolutely nothing.

This has enormous implications.

I cannot speak for the entire world of course, but I will speak of the parts of the world that I was born in or have visited. From what I have seen we humans are frequently, consistently, and fairly deserving of the following descriptions: ungrateful, arrogant, selfish, undeserving sense of entitlement, spoiled, rude, over inflated ego, undeserving, prideful, very prideful, extremely prideful, foolish, self-worshiping, vain, ignorant, entirely misplaced with who we should thank on a minute by minute basis.

Your right to safety, freedom, voting, speaking your mind...all of that is dependent on the blood and sweat of men and women before you who helped build society.

Your health, however good or poor, your development both mind, body and spirit...all directly dependent on the friends and family who nurtured you as a infant.

Your very life. What right in and of yourself do you have when it comes to your life? Did you yourself give yourself Life? You may be able to choose what you do with your life, you may be able to squander it, waste it, end it...but you have no right in and of yourself.

Do we not realize! Do we sincerely think so great of ourselves that we think that the gifts, abilities and understanding that we have comes from no one? How is it that we are so deluded and overly confident of ourselves that we for even a second think that we are the masters of ourselves?

Of course you may choose to do with your life as you please, most of us are not slaves in bondage...but what right do you have in and of yourself? None. Every good thing, literally every good thing in life is undeserved, and MUST be considered a gift. The very ability to give or receive love, the very ability to even perceive or experience pleasure is a gift! Nature does not love you, evolution cares not for you, chance cannot even consider you.

Let me simplify it: Every good and precious thing comes from God. Is a gift.

The moment we realize this. Is the same moment we are thankful, is the same moment we realize His love for us, is the same moment we realize our brokenness, is the same moment we realize we are made in his image, is the moment we realize that we are not alone, is the moment we begin to understand the purpose and meaning of Life.

Nothing comes from nothing. Perception of beauty, ability to love, imagination, creativity, awe, wonder, inspiration, music, art, poetry, stories, hope, kindness, gentleness, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, JOY...all good thing...they come from someone who gives them to us.

You are not your own, you are His. And he loves you.

Evil, suffering, pain...they have their answer...but only after God is given credit for Life. Otherwise to blame Him, is appearing like a child kicking at the curb for tripping him up.