"Gratitude is born in hearts that take time to count up past mercies." --Charles Jefferson
I've been reading this book on and off in the past year, and have been challenged and encouraged by it. But it wasn't until recently that I came to understand it's concept in a very direct way.
It was because of two people I have come to know. We'll call them Gladys and Grace.
Both are confined to a wheel chair and need help with basic things, like putting their shoes on, and brushing their teeth. Both need more than one person to assist them from sitting in their chair to laying down in bed. Both are well acquainted with the pain that racks through their bodies day in and day out. Physically, they have the same challenges.
But their attitudes are far from being remotely the same.
Gladys spends the entire time complaining about the pain, the meal she just ate, the day being terrible, and how hard it is to do anything. She stays in her room the greater part of the day, hardly ever smiles, "thank-you" is said in a tone that denotes any kind of gratefulness, and anyone assisting her, soon dread her requests.
And now for Grace. Her face always has a smile, a sweet word for the nearest passerby, and a childlike joy to any form of assistance given her. She is considerably older than Gladys but yet exudes a joyfullness that makes her seem years younger than her age. Her happiness in every day life is contagious. She rarely demands anything... because most around her offer their assistance before she asks.
See the difference? Both have the same challenges, but the way they react to them changes their attitude. Gladys has a dark outlook, Grace finds something to be glad about each day.
And now here's the kicker. The person who claims to be a Christian, is Gladys.
Surprising huh? You'd never know by seeing how she chooses to act.
The grateful heart that springs forth in joy is not acquired in a moment, it is the fruit of a thousand choices. It is a godly habit and pattern that over time becomes a new muscle in our spiritual makeup.
I never thought gratefulness was that big of a thing. It's always looked at as lower in the goals of achievement in Christian life. But it is a vital part in growing in any other aspect of Christianity.
I can't love if I'm not grateful. I can't have joy without being grateful. I can't have peace without gratitude... I can't worship without gratitude...
It all comes down to a choice. I can choose to be unhappy. Or I can choose to be grateful.
Will you join me in choosing gratitude?
Is the gratitude that flows out of your life as abounding as the grace that has flowed into your life?
"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be *thankful*, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe." -Hebrews 12:28 NIV
--Note: All italicized quotes are taken from the book "Choosing Gratitude" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
