Law of Relativity

The Law of Relativity states that your situation is not fundamentally good or bad until you compare it to something else.

On page 47 of "Hidden Treasures: Heaven's Astonishing Help with Your Money Matters" by Leslie Householder, she goes on to say about this law, "Bad things that happen to us are only bad relative to something better. If you are convinced that you are dealing with a rotten circumstance, then you need to ask God to help you see it differently. Compare your situation to something much worse, and you will be able to maintain more faithful thoughts. That is the goal."

One thing that has helped me do this is to give service to others. As I've talked with people and heard the challenges they're going through, I'm so grateful for my life. And I'm sure there are others who feel the same when they talk to me. I truly believe we're given what we can handle.

It also helps me to read books about what others have gone through. I recently read "The Hiding Place," by Corrie ten Boom. Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsie were taken to one of Hitler's concentration camps for helping the Jews. I love the part where Betsie was reading in the Bible and pointed out to Corrie that it says to thank God in ALL circumstances, not just the pleasant ones. At the time, they were housed in barracks that were infested with fleas. Betsie insisted that they needed to be grateful for them. One day, they found out why. They were allowed a lot of freedom to go around from group to group during the day and read to them from the Bible because the guards didn't want to enter the room since there were so many fleas.

After reading Corrie's story, I feel incredibly wealthy. I have running water and can take a shower every day, a toilet that flushes, a clean bed and sheets to sleep in, food to eat, freedom to come and go as I please, communication with others and much more. I am grateful for what I have NOW!

To me, that's one of the most important things we can do--express gratitude in each moment for what we have. Try it and see what happens!