Throughout this week I’ve been reminded that it is great to live in Canada. Just a couple of days ago, I saw a post that said Canadian post-secondary graduates don’t have to repay their student loans until they make at least $20,000 annually, which is pretty great news for anyone who has recently graduated and is experiencing difficulty in finding employment.
I’ve had a lot of these little reminders here and there about being thankful for just how easy I have it, especially when I’ve had the opportunity to go to school and receive a university education, and for simply having the freedom to choose what I can do everyday while living in peace.
All of these blessings really put things in perspective when I compare the sort of liberties and securities I have to those who are suffering immensely, particularly victims of war, injustice, poverty, or in comparison to all of the refugees who have been displaced from their home countries. There are many people in the world who aren’t living in peace, but instead, see suffering and death as common instances that can never be explained.
There are so many people who need prayers. There are so many people who need help around the world. It makes me think, Who am I not to pray for them more? Who am I for not being more grateful that I get to live in peace?
Today I was reminded of just that — my lack of gratefulness to God for blessing me with the gift of living in Canada. It was during our Liveloud Alberta meeting, and the worship leader mentioned how thankful he was for living in Canada and just for getting the opportunity to serve God so freely as a missionary. His words resonated with me and I just felt so humbled and thankful for the reminder because I really needed it.
In the past month I was finding it difficult to serve God, not just in the community but also in fostering my personal relationship with Him. There were a lot of personal things I was going through and my anxiety started to grow more and more. While I do not diminish the suffering I went through, when I compare my sufferings with my brothers and sisters around the world, including those in the community, I am motivated to be more thankful for the life I have in Canada.
When I think back to my experience at World GAT in 2011, I remember my brothers and sisters from the the Middle East sharing with me how they had to have their CFC-Youth events in secret because there were laws that made Christian gatherings illegal (or something along the lines of that). I can also recall one of the speakers at the SFC TNC this past September share that at every event he attends in his home country, there is always a birthday cake present — not to celebrate someone’s birthday, but to avoid getting into trouble with the law because in his country it was also forbidden to have Christian gatherings. How crazy is that?
The sort of freedom I have living in Canada is something to be thankful for, something that shouldn’t be taken for granted, especially on days when it is difficult to serve God. I have the freedom to live in a safe and peaceful country. I have the freedom to serve God and praise Him, while not having to worry about going to prison.
In my prayers I was asking God, “Why am I here in Canada?” To be honest, I haven’t gotten a clear message just yet, but until then, I pray that I can be more thankful for this blessing and keep those suffering in my prayers, especially those who don’t have the same religious liberties that I have. As I live in this great nation I pray that I can be more brave and have no fear whenever and wherever God calls me to serve Him. Amen.
