COUNTING MY BLESSINGS

Yesterday I did something that I have never done in my life – shopping for teenage boys. My son is not yet seven, and therefore I still get kiddies stuff whenever I shop for him.

You see, we have decided to bring together all the orphaned students in our school to form a group. This way, we make sure we know them all; we can identify their collective needs and create a platform for them to share their experiences. This way we believe that they’ll encourage one another, as each will feel that their challenges are not unique to them only. We had collected a few coins from fellow teachers and some students, and we told the orphans to write down some of material needs they have. The list included toothpaste, toilet paper, soap, petroleum jelly, pens, and other small essentials.

At first I thought the money we had wouldn’t be enough (we had 1,500 KES, an equivalent of about 18 US dollars).

Here’s what happened at the super market where we went to purchase the items from.

I will compare yesterday’s shopping experience with the one I do for myself or my house.

At the toilet paper aisle, we picked the cheapest tissue papers (22 KES, about 25 US cents). Normally, when am buying tissue paper, I look at quality. I want to buy the smoothest, and mostly it’s the most expensive. Color is also very important. I buy gentle pink or pure white. I will mostly buy a certain brand, and if I don’t get it in the shop am in, I will move to a new one. I hate green or blue tissue. Yesterday, it was about the price.

When we went to pick shoe polish, we picked the cheapest- what we could get as a large container at a good bargain. When shopping for my shoe polish, I prefer shoe cream, from a certain brand, which is the most expensive among all brands.

Then I had to pick petroleum jelly. I didn’t realize that you could actually buy petroleum jelly at such cheap prices. When I want some lotion to apply to my skin, there are lots of things I put into consideration. One is the ingredients…does it for example have vitamin E, what’s the consistency of the lotion. Is it too thick or does it run too easily. It’s sometimes about the smell, the brand. There are brands I believe are more superior to others, meaning, they are more expensive compared to others. In fact sometimes if I don’t like the smell of a certain lotion after using it for a while, I will stop using it, mid-way and buy the one I prefer.

Then we had to buy the pens. We looked around for the cheapest. When buying a pen for myself, I like to look at the point... Does it write thin, sharp letters?

So there I was, yesterday, after a long time, looking first at the prices of items before buying. We had limited cash, and we needed to buy several things for several boys. I learned that the economy isn’t so bad after all. When you first look at the price, actually things can be managed.

We bought bar soap, long bars, so that the boys can divide among themselves for use to bathe and for washing clothes. Amazingly, we only used about three quarters of the money we’d initially thought wouldn’t be enough. The boys were happy, they couldn’t hide their joy. I was touched, and I realized that you don’t have to be Bill and Belinda Gates to help someone in need. People who don’t have plenty appreciate the little they get.

I learned that I take a lot thing for granted, I like to complain and yet God has been so merciful and gracious. He has supplied. That I can afford soap. That am blessed, and I will thank the Lord for the good things He has given me.

I AM BLESSED!!