Gratitude

Carrying out this social relief work involves far more than helping meet the bare needs of poor Christians. It also produces abundant and bountiful thanksgivings to God. This relief offering is a prod to live at your very best, showing your gratitude to God by being openly obedient to the plain meaning of the Message of Christ. You show your gratitude through your generous offerings to your needy brothers and sisters, and really toward everyone            II Corinthians 9:12-15 (The Message)

This is Thanksgiving week, and it is also a favorite time of year for me. It brings back memories of past family holidays, traditions, and feelings of warmth and goodwill. It is a reminder, as if we should need it, that we are incredibly blessed and that sincere gratitude is in order for those blessings.

I suggest to my clients that starting the day with gratitude sets the tone for the day. We can be thankful for a bed to sleep in, clothes to wear, a nice warm shower, even the fact that we woke to another day. In other words, everything that we might otherwise take for granted. People in recovery often are challenged by a sponsor to make a gratitude list in order to shape their attitude for the day. You know, “an attitude of gratitude”.

So, as we start this Thanksgiving week in the United States, we are officially and collectively called to be thankful for our many blessings. Doing this daily on a personal level is a healthy way to keep that good attitude that gets us through days that are sometimes challenging.

Prayer: Lord, you are the giver of good gifts, and we are grateful for those blessings, Amen