Prayers Filled With Gratitude

Reminder:  If you've been keeping a Gratitude Journal now is a good time to update it.  Who blessed your life this week?  What events lifted your heart?  What did you see, hear or read that inspired you?  There are so many reasons to be grateful!  

    

     Nearly a year ago, 33 Chilean miners were miraculously rescued after more than two months underground. As they emerged from their dark prison, many of them were wearing t-shirts emblazoned on the front with, "Gracias Senor," or "Thank you Lord."  

2010 Copiapó mining accident, at the
San Jose Mine copper and gold mine, Chile

     While trapped, one 55 year old miner, Jose Henriquez,  had become their spiritual leader.  Twice each day he led the men in prayer.  From deep beneath the earth, he communicated with rescuers on the surface, expressing his faith that God's will would be done. He quoted from Psalms 95:4,  "In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him."  It was Henriquez and his fellow miners who requested that the t-shirts be made, and they asked that the scripture from Psalms be imprinted on the back of each one.  Their objective was to make a statement from the very first moment of their rescue, which they tenaciously believed would take place.  That statement: that God should have the praise and glory for their survival.

     I was deeply impressed last year as I watched the televised coverage of their rescue.  The faith of those men seemed, to me, incredible.  All the odds appeared stacked against them.  Who can survive 10 weeks underground?  And to survive such an extreme ordeal, remembering and praising God daily, is such a beautiful lesson for all of us.  I know my faith feels puny by comparison, my whining over discomfort way too frequent and loud. 

     Thankfully, most of us will never have to suffer as these men did.  Yet, they were so very grateful for all that was being done for them, and so appreciative to God for attending them while they were trapped, and for sparing their lives.  How many of us, in our relatively comfortable situations, are as eager to invite God's presence?  How many recognize His work and influence all around us?  How many of us express our thanks? 

     One of my favorite scriptures is Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all they ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."  I love this passage because it implies that no matter what our circumstance it holds a blessing for us.  As we give thanks to God (acknowledge Him) and trust His judgment for our lives, He will lead us and guide us. He will turn even the most difficult trial to our good, if we will have faith in Him and in His love for us.

     Taking a few minutes, each day, to sit silently and make a mental list of our blessings is time well spent.  Taking an additional few minutes to let that gratitude sink into our hearts might well change our focus for the entire day.  And expressing appreciation to God for all those blessings will draw us closer to Him.  We will feel His love more abundantly and come to experience a great peace and confidence that we are well watched over, truly cared for and remembered.

     Deeply felt gratitude is such a wonderful attribute.  It can fill us with supreme happiness and turn even our darkest days into a divine passage filled with the light of God's love.

TODAY'S  INSPIRED  QUOTATION:           You say grace before meals.  All right.  But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.     G.K. Chesterton

Every Day, We Get to Choose

     One of the things I like most about a new day is that it's a new beginning.  A new chance.  A new opportunity.  On any given day I can completely alter the way I choose to relate to life.  Yesterday may have been a purely awful day, and I may have acted in some purely awful way to its challenges, but today is a new start, and I can throw off the old way of doing things and approach life with a new perspective.  How great is that?!
     I love being positive.  Shifting from a negative to a positive attitude gives me a sense of power over my circumstances.  Even when I can't change those circumstances I can change how I relate to them.  Viktor Frankl, a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps, wrote:  "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing:  the last of the human freedoms-- to chose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."  Think of it.  We get to decide how we will respond to whatever may be going on in our lives.  That is a very enabling thought.
     Handling unpleasant life experiences probably doesn't come naturally to most of us.  However, there are habits we can form that will assist us in getting through difficulties more successfully.  Here are some things that I do.  I think they can help you, too.

• Try to eliminate or at least reduce refined foods--especially sugary foods--from your diet.  They do not support you nutritionally, and sugar, especially, causes a lot of stress in your system.  Stevia is a totally natural sweetener that you can safely use when you want to sweeten a drink, oatmeal, yogurt, etc. It comes from the stevia plant and you only need a little because it is extremely sweet.  It also has no calories!

• Make it a habit to walk every day or to do a stress reducing exercise, like yoga.   
• Spend some time simply being quiet and still.  Arrange your day so that you have 15 minutes of alone time.  This can be first thing in the morning, last thing at night, while the baby is napping--any time you can fit it in.  Quiet your mind and empty it of any unhappy or contentious thoughts.  Allow yourself to breathe deeply and be still.
• Get out in nature as often as you can.  Being surrounded by trees, grass and flowers has a very calming affect on the body and mind.

• If you live near the beach or a waterfall, walk in that environment daily, if possible.  The air around moving water is filled with negatively charged ions that have a deeply calming, yet energizing, affect on the body and mind. http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/negative-ions-create-positive-vibes  By contrast, computers, televisions, air conditioning, traffic and many other things that surround us in our daily lives emit positively charged ions that can sap our energy and make us feel tired and listless.  High concentrations of negative ions have, in fact, been found to help us feel more energetic and have more positive moods. 

     If we can get into the habit of doing two or three of the things mentioned above, we will find that our whole being is generally calm and at peace.  When difficult days do arise--as they inevitably will--we will be better prepared to handle them.  And should we have an occasional bad day, we will more readily be able to shift our perspective and choose a more pleasant attitude.
     It is such a blessing to know we have the freedom to choose how we will relate to life.  No matter what is going on, we get to make that choice.  And having some effective ways of relaxing our mind and body only makes it better, because engaging in those calming activities just feels so good!


TODAY'S AWESOME BLESSING:          WATCHING  MY HUSBAND  WALK,  TALK  AND  ACT  LIKE  HE'S FEELING  BETTER.   I  AM  SO  GRATEFUL  WHEN  HE HAS  A  GOOD  DAY,  AND  I  CAN  TELL  HE  IS  ENJOYING  LIFE!
  

Realizing What's Truly Important

Yesterday, the anniversary of September 11, 2001, was truly a day of remembrance.  Along with so many others, I paused to view the images and feel the sorrow brought on by the violent and senseless attacks on our nation.  It was good to do that.  I realized, in the process, that ten years ago I was in such shock that I never cried.  I was numb.  Yesterday, I cried.  Releasing those tears was an important part of my healing.  Praying for those who lost so much was also important.
     I am blessed to have a deep faith in a God of love and mercy--a God who watches over and cares for His children, but does not take away their agency to do what they will, even when that means they will take the lives of the innocent.  I also believe that God is a perfect judge who will measure the deeds of 9/11--both the acts of cowardly injustice and the acts of unselfish heroism--and His judgments will be perfect. 
     As I sat through some videos recounting 9/11, I was touched that so many people focused on their love of family, and the way this tragedy almost instantly changed their perspective of what is important. Many had placed their energies on making money and obtaining material possessions. Suddenly they realized that, while they had been pouring their lives into their work, their spouses and children would benefit more from having their time.  Priorities shifted, jobs changed, energy was rechanneled.  The result was greater gratitude for important relationships, greater emphasis on expressing love, and greater happiness within the family. 
     Nothing can take away the horror of 9/11, but if it has helped us to cherish more earnestly the freedoms and blessings we have, then it has brought with it an important message that is positive and, hopefully, lasting.  Mortal beings tend to easily forget.  We tend to shut out the unpleasant from our minds.  May we never forget 9/11 and the lessons it has taught us about what really matters and how quickly we can lose those we love.  May we also remember the goodness, the sacrifice, and the courage of those who risked their lives, and gave their lives, that others might live.  Their bravery is an example for all of us to study and strive to emulate.
     As we reflect on that day, I hope it will be with gratitude, not fear.  Perhaps it would help to remember the words of Mahatma Ghandi who said, "When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always."

   There is so much good in life, so many beautiful places for our thoughts to dwell:  all the peaceful days we have known since 9/11;  all the loving relationships we enjoy;  the beauty of the vast and varied landscape of our nation; the freedoms and joys that fill our hours.  May we cherish these blessings in faith and gratitude to God who has granted them to us, for these are, indeed, treasures to be appreciated, safeguarded and enjoyed.

TODAY'S GENTLE ENCOURAGEMENT:   Hug the ones you love and consider how to spend just a little more time with them.