Getting Used to Blessings

Carol decided she wanted to do something nice for her neighbor Mrs. Smith, so she baked a pie and carried it next door. When Mrs. Smith opened up her door, she was surprised to see her holding a pie. She replied, "For me?  Oh, thank you so much! You just don't know how much I appreciate it! You are so thoughtful for doing this! Thank you!"

Because Mrs. Smith liked the pie so much, Carol decided the next week to bake her another one. When she took it over, Mrs. Smith opened the door and said, "Thank you so much. You are so kind!"

Carol took another pie over the following week. Mrs. Smith simply replied, "Thanks."

Carol took another pie over the next week, and Mrs. Smith responded, "You are a day late with that pie."

The following week, Carol baked her another pie. This time her neighbor said, "Try using a little more sugar and don't bake it quite as long. The crust has been a little bit hard lately. And I'd like cherry instead of apple filling next time."

The next week Carol was so busy, she was unable to cook for her neighbor. When Carol passed by her house on the way to the store, Mrs. Smith looked through the window and noticed she wasn't carrying a pie. She then stuck her head out the window and yelled, "Where's my pie?!

It's so easy to get used to our blessings. After enjoying them for a while, we begin to think we deserve them. Then instead of being thankful, we complain. It's a process that occurs so slowly, we don't even realize it's happening.

Source: Kent Crockett, The 911 Handbook, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2003, 157-158)