Gratitude

Gratitude is expressing appreciation toward any of the infinite wonders that bless our lives. And, truly, everything in our lives is a blessing in some way. We can express gratitude toward our selves, others, and God. In essence, when we genuinely express gratitude toward our selves or others we are also thanking God because He is within each of us. When I say, “thank you” to you, I am not only expressing appreciation toward you, I am thanking God for shining his light through you.

Our lives are graced by a continuous stream of God’s blessings. A keen awareness of the present moment will help us identify the infinite blessings that enter our lives. When we identify these blessings, we ought to express gratefulness toward God for bestowing them to our presence. A long, thought out thank you isn’t necessary; just a simple genuine expression of thanks is fine. You will realize that when you express gratitude for the blessings in your life, you are rewarded for your appreciation. You are given more of that which you expressed gratitude toward. Appreciate the beautiful side of life and you will see even more beauty.

Gratitude can be expressed not only toward the circumstances perceived as favorable by our perceptions, but also toward the struggles and discontented moments injected into our lives. Although the unfavorable immediate outcomes of struggles are sometimes difficult to appreciate, we can be grateful for the presence, patience, and persistence that helped us overcome the challenges. God gives us struggles to promote meaningful growth in our lives. For these opportunities we can be thankful, especially because God provides us with all of the tools we need to achieve favorable growth results. We simply must open our hearts, clear our minds, and let Him guide us through the struggle toward peace and love.

With each struggle God grants us, we can thank Him for the tools he gave us to overcome the challenge. If we get sick, we can be grateful for the strength, perseverance, and encouragement that helped us recover our health. If we face a conflict with a friend or relative, we can be grateful for the open-mindedness, understanding, courage, and language that helped both parties agree on a constructive solution. When approached from a loving perspective, conflicts can actually serve as relationship building exercises. As we express gratitude toward a struggle, we learn to see the light, or the meaning, through the difficulty that is often associated with a tribulation.

Every experience in our lives has shaped us into who we are today; we have much to be thankful for.