If you’re a fan of Dave Ramsey, or have taken his Financial Peace course, you may be familiar with what he describes at the “four walls”: food, utilities, shelter, and transportation.

Having plenty of food, working utilities, a roof over my head, and a vehicle for getting out and about are today’s reasons for thankfulness. To use the cliché, “in this tough economy”, I feel blessed to have all of these things. I am grateful that my family doesn’t know what true hunger is, does not have to live by candlelight (unless there is a weather-related power outage), have a safe place to sleep at night, and are able to go places whenever we have schedules to keep or just want to travel.

It pains me to drive by the handful of empty homes within one block of my home. Places that provided shelter to friends and classmates of my children. Homes where owners tended to landscaping and waved as I drove by them. Buildings that now sit dark and empty. I can’t help but to wonder about the families and what their lives are like now.

Father,

Thank you for allowing me to be in this place that I comfortably call home. My heart is heavy for neighbors who are no longer nearby. I pray for their safety and that they are able to build up their four walls with You as their foundation and shelter. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!

CC