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| Gratitude |
E.W Howe once said "The greatest humiliation in life is to work hard on something from which you expect great appreciation and fail to get it."
One hot summer day, two friends walked along a road. Soon it became too hot for them to go any further. Seeing a large plane tree nearby, they plopped on the ground to rest in its shade. Gazing up into the branches one said to the other, "What a useless tree this is. It does not have fruit or nuts that we can eat and we cannot even use its wood for anything." "Don't be so ungrateful," rustled the tree in reply. "I am being extremely useful to you at this very moment, shielding you from the hot sun. And you call me a good-for-nothing!"
Burton says, I was taking my usual morning walk when a garbage truck pulled up beside me. I thought the driver was going to ask for directions. Instead, he showed me a picture of a cute little five-year-old boy. "This is my grandson, Jeremiah," he said. "He's on a life-support system at a Phoenix hospital." Thinking he would next ask for a contribution to his hospital bills, I reached for my wallet. But he wanted something more than money. He said, "I'm asking everybody I can to say a prayer for him. Would you say one for him, please?" I did. And my problems didn't seem like much that day, because I realized that I was blessed witht he good things of life; gifts which I'd been taking for granted.
Margaret Cousins put it this way, "Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary. Eric Hoffer adds, "The hardest Arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings".
Have you ever taken time out to give thanks for the so many blessings and abilities we have, which most people will gladly pay all the money in the world to get?
One afternoon, I was having a great time upstairs at home, when someone called me down stairs to help fix the sink. I went and in the course of fixing the sink, I cut my little finger. The finger bled. I ranted and raved for a good part of the afternoon. Later that evening, I read an article about lepers, why and how they lose their limbs. I learned that this loss of their limbs was due to their inability to feel pain which could make them bump into sharp objects, bleed and not feel pain. This, however, isn't an excerpt from a thesis on leprosy, though. My point is, after reading that article I was grateful for the ability to feel pain. And as absurd as that might sound, but I was grateful and I still am. How many times are we thankful for the ability to breathe without an oxygen mask; use the restroom unaided, and fall asleep when we feel like? Are you thankful that you don't scavenge nearby dumpster in search of food?
Beloved, that we can make comprehensive statements, communicate with those around and are able to do so many "seemingly" simple things are miracles. And everyday, we ought to be grateful for each blessing. Appreciation is a key that unlocks the door to blessings. We should appreciative every single act of kindness.
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