GRATITUDE ATTITUDE

Maybe it was their childhood of growing up in the Depression, when you learned to be thankful for everything, but gratitude was one character quality my parents tried to instill in me and my sister. We hadn't experienced the death of a parent nor extreme economic deprivations, as they had. But we were taught to be appreciative. One discipline connected to that was saying “thank you” and writing “thank-you notes.”

I tried to instill that in my kids, especially at gift-time. Even when they were too young to write, I encouraged them to draw a picture of the item and coached them on signing their names. With maturity came an expansion of what to be thankful for. Not just material gifts, but also the intangibles like the love, family connections, and hope that we have in Jesus Christ. Whenever I encounter a bitter person, I wonder, what would happen if they sat down and starting writing a thankful list. Would it open their eyes to the poverty of their life outlook?

G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936), an English apologist, literary/art critic, and author (also known for influencing fantasy writers C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien), toward the end of his life tried to express his most important life lesson. He decided it was this: whether we take things for granted or take them with gratitude.

Of that, Christian pastor and author Gary Inrig, in his study of Jesus' parables, remarked that when people live with a sense of entitlement instead of gratitude, such attitudes grow thin with those around them. In contrast, living out overflowing thankfulness is a prime clue to one's relationship with God. He explained: "When gratitude is lacking, grace has either not been received or not been understood. The state of our relationship with God is revealed clearly by our gratitude towards him."(1)

Not surprising, the etymology (word derivation) of “gratitude” is the Latin gratus, meaning “thankful, pleasing, agreeable.”

Every year I try to choose a focus word for the year. I post it at the bottom of my computer screen as a daily reminder of that quality. This year's word may be a repeat, but it's “gratitude.” Last year was tough with my husband's final illness and death. But even through that journey and its aftermath, the support of friends and loved ones has reminded me: be grateful in words, actions, and prayer. Quietly, through these choices, we'll sense the hug of God.

(1) Gary Inrig, The Parables: Understanding What Jesus Meant (Discovery House, 1991), pp. 45-46.