Hearts Full of Gratitude

A few days ago, I was reading an article about the physical effects of gratitude.  Among some of the many benefits of the practice of gratitude are lower levels of stress, lower blood pressure, improved immune function, and an increase in sleep quality.  At first, it seemed kind of crazy to me that something as simple as being grateful can actually impact us physically.  But after thinking about it for a little bit, it made sense.  We were literally created to worship and praise God- that involves thanking Him for all of the blessings He has given us.

Gratitude helps us to see everything in our lives as a gift from God.  It also helps us to depend more fully on God because we realize that every good thing in our life is from Him, and without Him, we can do nothing.  Gratitude is not just saying “thank you” every once in a while.  It is a disposition that involves acknowledging all of the gifts and blessings in our lives and living lives that glorify and praise God.

Living with gratitude means that we will focus more on our blessings than on any problems or challenges we may be facing.  It also will help us to look differently at these problems.  We will be able to see the good that can come from them and how God may be calling us to draw closer to Him during these times.  Gratitude helps us shift our focus from anything we lack to the abundance of blessings that we have.

The moment we wake up, we must recognize that every breath we take is a gift from God.  His love for us holds us in existence and we need to live our lives with a deep sense of thankfulness for the gift of our lives and for all of the graces He bestows on us.
​
As people across the country gather to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, many will express what they are thankful for.  But many will have an attitude of thankfulness for just that one day, and then go back to living in ways in which they fail to recognize their blessings.  May the gratitude and thankfulness we show on Thanksgiving overflow into our everyday lives, helping us all to live with hearts full of gratitude always.