So often we fail to be grateful for the present moments of life. We consume the joys of the here and now with a longing for something else. When we’re on vacation, we may think of pressures mounting at home; and when we’re at home, we long to be away on vacation. Or, when the children are young and energetic, we may wish for a quiet and clean house; and when they’re gone, how we yearn for the joyful noise of children to fill our empty home. Life teaches us that the longer we live, the more we value a grateful heart.
The fact is, grateful people are happier than ungrateful people. And they are more interested in helping others find happiness. Feeling grateful for the blessings of life, they are more inclined to give back to the world. Thankful for life’s experiences and lessons, they gain wisdom and are more apt to pass that wisdom on to the next generation.
Grateful people are realists. They know that life has its challenges and heartaches, its satisfactions and joys. To be grateful doesn’t mean we don’t recognize the difficulties of life. Gratefulness flows from an abundant heart that rejoices in another day of life, for another opportunity to love and interact with God’s creations. Thankfulness flows from wide-open eyes that see beauty even when it’s surrounded by ugliness and peace amidst the storms of life. It may even be that our sorrows and trials become the very things that help gratitude grow in our hearts. We can be grateful that, more often than not, things tend to work out. We can appreciate the good people around us. And we can be thankful for those in the past upon whose shoulders we stand.
During this season of thanksgiving, we can rethink our attitude toward life. Happiness comes from feeling grateful. This day and always, we rejoice in the bounty of our blessings and lift our hearts in grateful praise.
Program #3927