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To the Editor:
King David in 1 Chronicles 29 humbled himself and said “But who am I and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”
A wise man said, “the best way to appreciate what you have is to remember that it is all from God.” One thing that America lacks is gratitude as 2 Timothy 3 says would be lacking in the last days. As a whole our country has forgotten to be grateful. This fact is no more evident than when one considers the words written in President Biden’s fact sheet on the infrastructure bill that U.S. Congress is voting on. It reads, “too many lack access to affordable, high-speed internet and to quality housing.” When one considers that America is so privileged that we consider “high-speed internet” a necessity, it becomes obvious that our nation is out of touch with reality. Some doctors say 5G internet speed and higher could damage the health of Americans. A record number of people have had ringing in their ears and believe high speed internet is to blame. One thing for sure is more high speed internet equals less privacy. Your privacy is an illusion as the Bible said it would be in these last days.
Several years ago economist Tim Worstall said, The poor in the U.S. are richer than 70 percent of all the people in the world. Things can change fast. Prices are going up and today inflation is the highest in 30 years! Inflation hurts the poor the most. This Thanksgiving we can fight discontent by not comparing ourselves with very rich Americans. With all their wealth many are bored, lonely and miserable. Proof material prosperity isn’t enough to satisfy without Jesus. Poverty is real but relative and changing. California was once the richest and most desirable state to live in and considered paradise. Now it’s home to the most homeless and illegals and record fires and crime. People are moving from California to Tennessee. Hopefully they won’t vote for what they left and try to change Tennessee. We can be thankful God has delayed His great judgment for America but we know it’s coming to many evil places such as California, New York and New Orleans and to each of us if we have rejected Jesus. We can be thankful that Jesus is coming soon to take Christians to the greatest paradise — Heaven!
Economist Thomas Sowell said American poor (most are over-weight) are the envy of the poor of the rest of the world. Most people of the world eat the same thing every day and are glad to have it. World Vision said if you have clean water and a decent bathroom, you are richer than one-third of the world’s population. Doctors say it’s good for our health to be thankful. Human psychology is such, we aren’t made happy by what we acquire, but by what we are thankful for or appreciate. Rich is determined not by what we have but how little we need. The Bible says if you have food and clothes be content. You don’t need high speed internet to be content. The Bible commands in everything give thanks to God. The Bible says God will work all things for good to those who love Him and are called. Christians are the most thankful people because Christians are thankful first and always to Jesus who with His precious blood fully paid for all our sins on the cross. The proper attitude for America is the attitude of gratitude. C.S. Lewis wrote, “We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is ‘good,’ because it is good, if ‘bad,’ because it works in us patience, humility and contempt of this world and hope of our eternal country.”

D.D. Nave
Elizabethton