Gratitude

Posted by Ginger

Gratitude

“To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything He has given us –

 and He has given us everything.

 Every breath we draw

 is a gift of His love,

every moment of existence is a gift of His grace,

for it brings with it immense graces from Him.  Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God.”

Thomas Merton Thoughts in Solitude

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This morning I felt as if God was teaching me to focus on the virtue of  gratitude and what it means to give thanks in all things. 

Gratitude is the strongest weapon against pride, stress, feelings of being overwhelmed, lack of contentment – the list goes on. 

“I will bless the Lord at all times. 

 His praise will continually be in my mouth.”

Psalm 34

So take your little ones on some nature hikes and think about how much God has given us – just by watching nature and taking in His fresh air, we become more thankful and less stressed.

Take notice how the light of just an ordinary day reflects and shines through the colors of the leaves.  How much more vibrant they are with the light shining through.  The light of Christ works in the same way through our hearts and attitude…when we reflect the light of Christ through cheerfulness and always being thankful, even the dark and dull areas of our life have meaning and purpose. 

In developing and an attitude of gratitude, three things come to mind for  me;

1.     The ordinary – Where else can God be seen if you can’t see Him in the ordinary? And if we wait for something else – we will miss God.

2.     Appreciation – What good are the gifts of life if they are not appreciated and enjoyed?

3.     Treasure – what are your treasures?  “Do not store up riches for yourself here on earth…For where your heart is.there will your heart will always be.’ Matthew 6:19-21

Sometime it’s just a matter of remembering all that God has provided for us. If it helps – keep a prayer in your pocket or up in your visor of your car – and think of it as a weapon against our stresses and the little things that kill our gratitude.

Here are some small prayers if you need one.

Lord we pray that our children will develop a grateful heart. Thank you for reminding us that we need to live in thanksgiving and cultivate a grateful heart too.  Help us to be teachers of that gratitude and increase our awareness of your Holy presence in the ordinary everyday things.  In this self-absorbed world, teach us to live in joyful thanks to You.

In Jesus, name we pray.

Amen


Dear God, as I go about my daily duties today,
caring for the things in my home, 
help me to see the things I touch.
give me a spirit of generosity with my
material blessings and a sense of true appreciation for all that I have been given.
Amen