Christianity Talk- Gratitude
Gratefulness doesn’t just come from verbally expressing thank you or doing something nice for someone who treated you right. Gratefulness is also what you do with the blessings that God has given you.
For me, I work to express gratitude in every aspect of my life. For example, I am blessed to have a comfy bed with white, soft linen and a nice mattress. I’ve curated my room to be warm and cozy, comfortable and nice to be in. The way I express gratitude is by keeping it clean, decluttering, and donating things I do not need. Honoring the space I was given.
I am also blessed to have access to nutritious and whole foods. I express gratitude by converting them into a healthy meal, cooking and using all the ingredients that God has provided, praying over my food, and learning ways to not waste any food I have, whether that is mixing leftover ingredients and creating a snack, or planting herbs or giving to my neighbors food I won’t eat. I make sure I take advantage of everything that was provided.
God also blessed me with a spacious home which I’m able to decorate, use, and unwind in. I honor it by maintaining repairs, and cleanness and by inviting positive energy. I make sure that it is a space for celebration and values that uphold my livelihood and honor God.
God also blessed me with a healthy body, strong legs, and arms. This one is very dear to me and it is also why I’ve dedicated most of my life to nourishing and training my body the best way that I can. I remember a time when I was not able to walk because I was in a hospital bed, I couldn't breathe and depended on oxygen tanks because there was liquid in my lungs and I certainly could not use the body that I had for all the things that I aspired to do. I was only a kid and although it was traumatic, I promised God that if he healed me, I would utilize this body to the best of my ability. I would hike tall mountains, I would create things with my hands, and I would run and push myself to my fullest potential. Most importantly, I would nourish it and put only good things in my body.
This journey hasn’t been easy and I was definitely imperfect many times but one thing I never took for granted was the blessing that having an able body was. When I run and I’m out of breath, I thank God that I can be out of breath from exercise and not an illness. When I have good, quality food, I am grateful that I have access to it.
God has blessed me with opportunities. This one is important for everyone but especially for young people. I see people who don’t take risks or opportunities because they have limiting beliefs or are afraid of change or are just complacent. God created us to have a purpose, when we face him in eternity, he will ask: what did you do with the opportunities I presented to you? Did you use them wisely? If we don’t reach our full potential, it is a way of being ungrateful for all the things we are given. We have an abundance of resources and opportunities all around us, so many tools while many people around the world don’t even have access to education. Being able to get out of your comfort zone and use the resources God has provided is probably one of the best ways to honor him.