A Grateful Heart is a Cheerful Heart

Gratefulness is an attitude of heart, it is a skill that can and should be developed by each of us and practiced with great liberality!  A grateful heart is a cheerful heart.  A grateful heart spreads sunshine in dark places without even having to make an effort.  Do you have a grateful heart?  Do you communicate that gratefulness to those around you?

My husband isn't perfect… in fact some of his flaws can be downright annoying and frustrating (of course I NEVER annoy him!)  But I am so grateful for who he is that I rarely ever get focussed on what he isn't capable of or who he can never become.  

There's an old saying "No man was ever shot while doing dishes!"  My husband does our dishes every night before going to bed or first thing in the morning… without fail!  He also does the laundry (because he has experienced my lack of alertness for red socks in white loads and ended up with pink boxers once too often!)  These are huge things to me, for which I am very, very grateful.  But if I never spoke those words of gratefulness to him, would he know how much it means to me?  I doubt it.  He would feel taken for granted, especially if I mentioned something that he hadn't done that needed doing.

I think that a spirit of gratefulness is the match that keeps the flame of love glowing brightly in a marriage.  A grateful heart notices the little things and takes time to say "Thank you, I appreciate you and all you do."  A grateful heart cherishes "what is good" about our relationships and avoids looking over the fence at another's "greener" lawn.  Remember, even weeds look green and lush from a distance!

Have you been the recipient of a heartfelt "Thank You" recently?  Did it lift your spirits for a great while?  How did it make you feel about the person who expressed it, especially if it was thoughtfully communicated?  Think about the warm sunshine that those words spread in your soul and look around you today.  What are you thankful for?  Who is a blessing in your life?  How could you put that thankfulness into words and give it as a special gift to the one you are grateful for?  Love that is unexpressed has almost no power at all, but love that is put into words and expressed openly warms the heart for a long time!

Are you thankful for life?  For breath?  For the love of your family?  Take a moment to express that thankfulness to the God who gave you life and breath and love… Have you noticed how He is always faithful to our tiniest cry for help?  He diligently watches over the detais of our lives whether we remember to thank Him or not.  I'm constantly aware how easy it is for me to take Him for granted…

"Lord, help me to see my blessings more clearly than my areas of lack.  Help me to recognize and appreciate the treasures that are everywhere in my life.  Show me where I have taken those I love for granted and find ways to express my gratefulness to them… and to remember to make a practice of saying "Thank You" consistently and in many different ways. 

Most of all, help me to see all that you have done for me and develop heart of gratefulness towards you.  I love you, Lord!  Amen

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things…and the God of peace will be with you.  Phil 4:8-9"

Audrey Jeanne Roberts