A counselor told me once that gratitude is the means by which we turn our cups right side up. Without gratitude, it doesn't matter how many blessings flow into our lives, our cups -- upside down as they are -- remain empty. Through the practice of gratitude, our cups fill and overflow into other people's lives.
I say I believe God's goodness is without limit. Yet, when I envy the good things that happen to others, I reveal a very different view of God -- one where his supply of blessings is limited and he himself is capricious in how he bestows them. Without gratitude, our lives become as Oswald described, "craving spiritual sponges . . . (with) nothing lovely or generous about them."
This may be the clearest example to me of free will: I can choose not to see -- or taste, touch, smell and hear, for that matter -- the wonders of God displayed boldly all about me. I can choose to see my world as small and impoverished -- to compare it constantly to some unattainable American dream -- or I can practice gratitude and grow daily in my appreciation of all that God has done.
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness . . ." 2 Peter 1:3.
"He will tax the last grain of sand and the remotest star to bless us if we will obey Him" -- Oswald.
Amen! Gratitude is usually not a struggle for me, but lately it has been. This is a good reminder.
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