Gratitude

A very amazing man, David Kim, asked his FB friends to consider the power of Gratitiude. He posted it a few days ago, and I have been thinking about it ever since, and I'd like to thank Mr. Kim for encouraging me to do so.

Dictionary.com defines Gratitude as the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful. I always looked at gratitude as a feeling, more so than a quality. My OCD afflicted mind needs to think about all angles of a subject, and the dictionary is always a good start, whether you know the definition of a word or not, I promise, many times you'll be amazed at what words mean in their entirety.

A quality is something that you build, you tend as it grows, carefully watching that it goes as well as it can, so the quality can be the best that it can be, in whatever quality you may be trying to get. Quality in products is important if you want to be successful, and so the quality of things really does depend on one's dedication to creating the very best result possible.

Feelings are so fickle, they come and go, and one day may we may feel the complete opposite than the day before, and our feelings aren't always built on logic. Feelings are great, when they are good, but bad feelings can cripple a person's will to strive for the best quality in their life. Feelings are unreliable, while something with quality is firm and strong.

What does this all have to do with considering the power of Gratitude? Well, I'm so glad you asked :)

When I thought of gratitude, I thought how it is the wonderful feeling that someone gets, when a dire need or hurt has been taken care of, and the release of the burden and pain being lifted, creates a lightness in spirit, and gratitude of heart. This is true, but as I think of that, how sad it is that we tend to be grateful only in times when needs are met, and how if one has the 'quality' of gratitude, they would not need to be broken to be thankful.

An important lesson was in this question from my FB friend. Sure, we can say we are thankful for this or thankful for that, but unless we work to have the quality of Gratitude, to truly be grateful for the things we have, for the things that we don't have that would hurt our lives, for waking up everyday, for being forgiven our sins, so many things that we can have an attitude of gratitude about, we just have the 'feeling' of gratitude, not the 'quality'.

The Bible says to consider it all joy to be in various trials, for trails test your faith, that produces patience, and then let patience have it's perfect work in you, that you may become perfect and lack nothing. (James 1) I believe this passage is talking a bit about the power of gratitude that we can have in our lives. God will help us through everything, and so, being grateful to Him for everything, good times, bad times, for all we have, and don't have, thanking Him in everything, and getting the quality of gratitude, even when we don't feel like it, will give us the QUALITY  of gratitude, and not just the FEELING.

I pray that I may grow and tend my quality of gratitude, so much so, that I shall never be ungrateful again, no matter what my situation, for God is with me, and if God is for me, who can be against me? I have all I need in Him!

Again, thank you, Mr. Kim, you're a very inspirational man, and your love for God is encouraging and beautiful. I am blessed so much by your testimony and example. May God continue to use you for His glory, and may He bless you dearly  :)