We often don’t realize how fortunate and blessed we are when it comes to freedom in the United States of America. We often forget that other countries don’t even have the same freedoms we have. For instance, in Iran, In Iran, many people do believe in Jesus, however, they can’t openly practice their faith, so they have to meet in secret so they don’t get found.

You can go to jail just for preaching the word of God and for telling others about Jesus. You will even go to jail and even be killed for believing and professing your faith, and even just going to church. We don’t even think about the possibility of the death penalty for talking openly about our faith with other Christians. In Iran, many people do believe in Jesus, however, they can’t openly practice their faith, so they have to meet in secret so they don’t get found.

Here in the United States of America, we are allowed to worship God freely. We don’t think twice about talking to other people about God or going to church every week to worship. Think about fearing for your life just for believing in Jesus. How awful that must be for some people. Be grateful for the freedom to worship pretty much wherever and whenever we want in “the land of the free and the home of the brave”.

In the Congo and other African countries, there is a lot of civil unrest. Some of the statistics that just might blow your mind include; Africa is by far the poorest continent on the planet. 28 of the world’s poorest countries are African.

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to the second largest population of hungry people. The largest is in Asia.

Half of the African population lives in poverty. These people do not have access to basic human needs, such as nutrition, clean water, shelter and more. Forty-seven percent of the African population is living on $1.90 or less a day.

Two in five African adults are illiterate. While the continent’s number of schools are increasing, the quality of learning and general attendance is still down due to local violence and gender oppression.

One in four people in the sub-Saharan region are malnourished. This is the highest amount of hungry people in the world. You can read more here: https://borgenproject.org/15-facts-about-poverty-in-africa/

Many people want to flee Africa but they just don’t have enough money to do so. So, they live in poverty and in danger for most of or all of their lives. Many people don’t have enough food or clean drinking water. Some have to travel up to 20 miles a day just to get clean water for their family. Many others don’t have food for days or weeks on end. So many people die from hunger too.

So, the next time you find yourself complaining that there is nothing to eat in your fridge or freezer, or even if you’re thinking that there’s nothing that you want to eat, stop and think about the people in the poorest countries and how they have even less than you. You might be thinking that there isn’t anything to eat in your pantry, but the reality of it is, you’re not starving. You never were actually starving. Many people don’t know what real hunger and actually going hungry means.

If you’re reading this article it means that you have the technology such as a tablet, cell phone or computer that many people can only dream of having. Every time you use a tablet, your phone or computer, take it as a blessing and as a tool that you shouldn’t take for granted. The next time you get upset about a slow internet connection or your computer not working properly, remember how many people out there don’t even have the tools and technology that you have at your disposal.

The next time you find yourself complaining about how hard school is, whether you’re in elementary school, in high school, college or graduate school, remember that some people don’t even get the chance to study or to even learn to read and write. The next time you think you hate the subject you’re studying, remember there are so many people out there that will never get an education or be able to have some of the same skills that you take for granted.  Remember when you were a kid and thought how hard school was for you? Try being those people who want to get an education but can’t, because it’s too far to travel, way too expensive or too dangerous in their country to even think about getting an education.

Many people in third world countries don’t have enough education either. They long for better conditions and long to go to school to get an education, but don’t have the means. They may not even know the basic skills of math and reading and writing.

Remember how blessed you are to have the freedoms you have. Try not to take anything for granted because so many other people long to have what we have.