Don't Take the Little Things for Granted

“In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.” - Ecclesiastes 7:14

A couple nights ago, I ventured to our local 24/7 grocery store on the hunt for a few different things. My expectations were low; I was worried I would not be able to bring much in the way of appetizing food back. I was doubly concerned about buying meat, as I had not seen much other than pork roasts and very expensive cuts of beef and fish since before the COVID-19 outbreak took hold of the country. I slowly made my way toward the various meats when my eyes were met with the most beautiful sight I’d seen in a grocery store in at least two weeks: ground beef.

Do you know what you can make with ground beef?

TACOS. YOU CAN MAKE TACOS WITH GROUND BEEF.

Now, during an average week in the Kidwell household, ground beef tacos are a part of the regular dinner rotation. It is something the four of us normally enjoy eating, but we make it mostly because it’s quick, relatively cheap, and rather mild. We had not had tacos in two weeks because of a lack of ground beef, so when I saw the sign that said “LIMIT ONE FOUR POUND PACK PER PERSON, PER DAY,” I chuckled out of excitement at the thought of being able to make tacos after having been resigned to not eating them until all of this had blown over. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed quick, cheap tacos until that moment. It was a case of not knowing what I’d had until it was gone.

Seriously, all this over ground beef?

That might have seemed a little dramatic, but it made me think for a while of the things I’d taken for granted before all this quarantining started. The ability to go out and get the exact groceries I wanted, the opportunity to meet friends for coffee and lunch, and the ability to take my wife to a movie, among other things, are all “little blessings” I probably didn’t fully appreciate pre-quarantine as much as I do now, to say nothing of larger, more important blessings such as the ability to assemble with the Lord’s Church en masse. I’ve been thinking about that ever since, actually.

In Ecclesiastes 7:14, the “Preacher” makes it clear that when days of prosperity come, the proper response is to enjoy what God has given us, and to likewise consider our situation when “the day of adversity” visits us. This is to be done so that we recognize all of it is from God. We do not know what the future might hold, so we should appreciate what we have while we have it; to not take it for granted. The thrust of this is this: In expressing our appreciation for the blessings we have received, we also express our appreciation for the one who has given them to us.

During this time of trial and panic, be thankful for that which God has given you. You likely had food on the table last night. If you’re reading this, you have access to the internet, which means you can also communicate with most friends and loved ones. Perhaps this quarantine will serve as a wake-up call to not take so many things for granted, but rather to express our appreciation, and thus consider the one who gives us those blessings in the first place. We have so much for which we should be thankful. Sometimes, it is as simple as a four pound package of ground beef. Oftentimes, it is so much more. We’re blessed.