Gratitude

Gratitude has made my life much happier. It has also acted as a magnet for blessings. The more grateful I've become, the more I've had to be grateful for.

An ancient prayer expresses this thanks: "Blessed art thou, O Lord, who givest us this bread and this wine, the fruit of man's labor." This prayer recognizes that our blessings depend in part on our labor: we shape ourselves, our world, and our history. But all, finally, is a gift of God, and we ourselves are the finest of His gifts. Our gift to God is our gratitude.

A Gentle Spirit, January 11