Gratitude is the most noble of qualities we can possess.
Often we become so caught up in our daily lives with all their challenges that
we forget to stop and find gratitude even in the simplest things in life. While
out running the other day I caught a whiff of the Tea Olive plant. Smell is
such a strong trigger, as it brought back so many pleasant fall memories of
growing up in Augusta as a child. The world and all of its troubles seemed to
stop for a few minutes as I enjoyed that delightful fragrance. A sense of
genuine gratitude for life flowed through me.
The years were 1991-1993. I was in a terrible place in life.
I had lost all of my faith in God and the church. Life was incredibly difficult
as I experienced the wretched tearing of divorce. My life seemed empty and
hallow. I felt like such a failure and could find no joy in life. The days were
filled with humdrum and meaninglessness. I was lost and saw no way out of my
predicament. Joy was all but a forgotten memory of the past. I tried to find
peace through various artificial ways but none was to be found. I figured that
God had turned his back on me so I would show God, I would return the favor. I
could find no gratitude for life or anything it had to offer. It was a dark
time in my life.
In the dark night of the soul gratitude is usually the first
quality to vanish. It’s difficult to enjoy life when we are so down on
ourselves. It is certainly more than a challenge to find any sense of gratitude
while in the pitch black throws of depression, despair and insecurity. Yet life
continued to move forward despite my unwillingness to participate. Little did I
know a great awakening was just around the corner.
Donald McKim tells us, “Gratitude is a response to God and
God’s blessings that is an expression of praise and devotion. In the Christian
context, believers respond in gratitude for the ‘indescribable gift’ of Jesus
Christ, who is the supreme expression of God’s grace.” My great awaking came
while listening to a speaker talk about God’s grace. I had the profound
revelation that God’s grace was fully adequate to bring the gift of joy to
those who believed and were willing to turn their life and problems over to
God, allowing Jesus to carry our burdens.
God demonstrates to us in this life and in the Bible that
God is gracious toward human beings, despite our stubbornness. In Exodus 34:6
we learn, “The Lord God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding
in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Even in my unfaithfulness God remained
faithful to me. God never gave up on me; it was me who gave up on God.
How thankful I am today, to know all my past failures were
necessary for me to be where I am now. Through much pain and suffering came
experience. I became obedient to God. By seeking God I found that God shared
his treasured gift for grace with me. The gratitude for life soon flowed in
live a raging river. Through my experience and obedience, spiritual growth took
place. Through a newly found sense of gratitude I found peace within myself.
“In God’s economy, nothing is wasted. Through failure, we
learn a lesson in humility which is probably needed, painful as it is.” Out of
humility flows gratitude. When we reach that state of spiritual depth, our
lives while not perfect, are so much better.
Embrace this day and be grateful. None of us are out of the
reach of God’s grace. That alone is something to be deeply grateful. Live each
day as if it were our last and as the old saying goes, “Take time to stop and
smell the roses!”
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