GRATITUDE

GRATITUDE

" ...having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and
established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing
with gratitude." (Colossians 2:7)

"The modern world has had far too little understanding of the art of
keeping young. Its notion of progress has been to pile one thing on top
of another, without caring if each thing was crushed in turn. People
forgot that the human soul can enjoy a thing most when there is time to
think about it and be thankful for it." G. K. Chesterton

"In everyone's life there is much to be unhappy about, and there is much
to be grateful for. Realistically acknowledging both ends of the
spectrum is appropriate.

When we turn to look at our problems, we assess them and make a plan -
no matter how small or grand - to work on them. This plan we formulate
with our MIND and motivate with our WILL. Then we look in the other
direction at our blessings, finding our obligation for gratitude. Here
we may fully engage our EMOTIONS.

Often we send our emotions to do battle with our problems, and despair
results. Then we send our will to express our gratitude, lacking any
confirming passion whatsoever.

Of course our emotions ought to be informed about our problems; of
course our mind and our will ought to express gratitude. But we should
send out that warrior best suited for the duty. And I think there can be
little debate concerning the most appropriate assignments here.

If we can adopt such a balanced approach, we will combine a realistic
and objective involvement in working on problems with a simultaneous
assurance that there is much good in life. We'll recognize that the
world is full of beauty, that most people are worthy of our respect and
trust, and that the affairs of suffering humans are replete with acts of
love, kindness, nobility, and sacrifice. And we'll remember that
overseeing it all is a God who knows us well, who loves us anyway, and
who is very, very, good.

We all have within our grasp much to be thankful for. Gratitude fills.
Discontent drains. The choice is ours.

Prescription: Every day write down a specific reason you have to be
thankful and post it somewhere visible. If you wrote a different reason
each day, how long would it take before you ran out of reasons to be
grateful? Personally, I am grateful that grass is green, that we have
vision, that our vision is in color, that four-year-olds laugh once
every four minutes, that we can have an appreciation of beauty ...
Furthermore I am grateful for Handel's Messiah, for oboes, for sunsets,
for my wood burning stove, for fishing, for birds, for our capacity to
love the Scriptures ... When you give thanks to God, He turns it around
and gives it to you!" from A MINUTE OF MARGIN - RESTORING BALANCE TO
BUSY LIVES by Dr. Richard Swenson

Check out today's THINK VICTORY! Memory verse at
www.americaskeswick.org.