I’ve been enjoying something some of my friends have been doing on Facebook this month. Each day, they have been listing one thing they are grateful for. Listed items range from family members, to coffee with a friend to (and I’ve seen this one more than you’d expect) a garage in which to park one’s car.
Although I didn’t participate in this exercise this year, my friends’ lists have been good reminders of many things I take for granted that I should be grateful for.
In her article “The Best Way to Live,” Kara Schwab recalls a conversation she had with a girlfriend about the best attributes to look for in a spouse. At the top of her list? Gratefulness. She said to her friend:
Have you ever been around a person who is just really grateful? Think about it. They live as if they truly understand that life is an amazing gift. They don’t assume they deserve anything — so everything good they experience is viewed as a blessing, not a right. Talk about refreshing.”
After talking about it a bit, my friend totally agreed. There is something radiant about people who view life as a gift and who are grateful for the little things. The dictionary says “grateful” is an adjective but describes it almost like a verb, using such phrases as, “appreciative of benefits received; expressing thankfulness.” And it’s true. Gratefulness can’t help but be shown or expressed. It’s a feeling that alters your living — it makes you smile and clutch your chest a bit…humbling you. It changes how you see things and how you treat others. It compels you to think what life would be like without the thing you’re grateful for and reminds you of how blessed you are.
What are you grateful for this year? I’m grateful for Jesus, my Lord and Savior, to start. The many other things I’m grateful for flow from Him. I’m thankful for the gift of a husband after quite a few years of singleness. I’m thankful for a son who is no longer having seizures and seems to be recovering. I’m grateful for the hope found in Christ in all circumstances — including the hard ones. I’m grateful that He loves me.
