Gratitude is Like a Flower Blooming Among the Thorns of Life.

Myrtle Beach 2019 - Cal Shook

Gratitude is: 

“The quality of being thankful; 

readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” 

– Oxford 

Being grateful brings a smile to my face. How about you?

Life is a bit unsettling right now.

What if I replace worry with gratitude?

There’s power in being thankful.  It can help us put things in perspective. It helps us see the angels among us, those who give to others in a time of need. 

At one of our lowest times, 1991, my husband and I would lose our Mom’s within a month of each other. Running back and forth to hospitals that were 45 minutes apart was a challenge, so we realized we’d have to do our best for our own mothers and see each other’s when we could.   For a long time, food had no flavor and sleep was hard to come by.  We grabbed onto all the blessings we felt during that difficult time.  Like our separation on a birthday and a call from a cousin that fueled my soul - I didn’t have to eat alone.  The reason for my being alone, our car’s engine seized and died when my husband, Jim, was exiting the highway. We were thankful that the off ramp was steep enough to allow him to put it into neutral, then guide it into a mechanic’s shop at the bottom of the hill and across the street.   A friend brought Jim home, they had supper together, and he had a place to stay for the night.  These acts of kindness, along with many others that came, were fuel for our weary souls. 

During this time of uncertainty and crisis, once again, we’re turning to gratitude to help us get through it.  From this gratitude, we are attempting to do acts of kindness, in return.

How did we find this perspective? We believe in “A Power Greater than Ourselves, that can restore us to Sanity.” Though our faith is Christian, there are many different faiths that turn to God in times of need. With God’s help and a sense of gratitude, once again, we’ll get through this.