Gratitude

The other day when we were at church, one of the senior members in his sermon, gave an analogy about man's life.

It was something about how God created different animals like a donkey, a dog, a monkey and gave each of them tasks. The donkey was told that he would work from sunrise to sunset carrying burdens on his back and would live 50 years. The donkey didn't want 50 years, and opted for 20 years instead. So, God granted him that wish.

The dog was told that he would guard the house, and live on scraps. And, the dog took 15 years, instead of 30. The monkey would swing from branch to branch doing tricks and was awarded 20 years. But, the monkey wanted only 10 years.

Finally, God created man and told him that he would be the only rational creature on the face of the earth and would live 20 years. But, the man wanted the years the animals had refused to be added to his life. 

So since then, man lives 20 years as a man. Then, spends 30 years like a donkey, working and carrying all the burdens on his back. Then when his children are grown, he lives 15 years like a dog taking care of the house and eating whatever is given to him. So that when he is old, he can retire and live 10 years like a monkey, going from house to house and from one son or daughter to another doing tricks to amuse his grandchildren. That’s Life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There were many people in the audience who found this funny and could relate to it. While, there might be truth to it, I found it to be a very depressing view on life. Depending on how we view our circumstances, one can experience joy in the midst of life or be negative about it. If anything, this analogy tells me that we struggle with feeling grateful.

The grateful heart is like a magnet sweeping over the day, collecting reasons for gratitude. A zillion diamonds sparkle against the velvet of your sky every night. Thank you, God. 

 A miracle of muscles enables the eyes to read these words and your brain to process them. Thank you, God. 

Our lungs inhale and exhale eleven thousand liters of air every day. The heart will beat about three billion times in a lifetime. The brain is a veritable electric generator of power. Thank you, God. 

For the jam on our toast and the milk on our cereal. For the blanket that calms us and the joke that delights us and the warm sun that reminds us of God’s love. For the thousands of planes that did not crash today. For the kids who, in spite of unspeakable pressure to dishonor their parents, decided not to do so. Thank you, Lord.   

For the blessing of family and friends. For people and kids to love, cherish and hold. Thank you, God.

For the ability to work, to think, to love, to receive. Thank you, God.

In C.S Lewis' Screwtape letters, Uncle Screwtape’s diabolical counsel to his nephew is a reminder that most of us live more in the future than in the present. Somehow, we think that the days ahead will make up for what we perceive to be our present lack. We think, “When I get this or when that happens, then I’ll be happy,” but this is an exercise in self-deception that overlooks the fact that even when we get what we want, it never delivers what it promised.

Most of us don’t know precisely what we want, but we are certain we don’t have it. Driven by dissatisfaction, we pursue the treasure at the end of the rainbow and rarely lavish in the present moment, which is all we ever have. The truth is that if we are not satisfied with what we have, we will never be satisfied with what we want.

Over the past years, we have been supporting a charity organization for children. When we initially started working with them, I expected it to be a purely monetary contribution. But, some of the kids we happened to know through them, were just so different. One such boy was Henry. His letters would be overflowing with love, gratitude and affection.

I would wonder, what did he have to be so thankful about? That, he gets to survive on crumbs of someone's charity? That, basic meals are hard to come by? That, he works hard and toils in the field to support his family?

He recently sent us a farewell letter, in which he told us that he has completed his course in hospitality and now he wants to look for a job based on what he has learnt. He did not think that it would be fair to continue taking help when there were others who needed it more. This just blows my mind. This boy is only 20 years of age. He walked away from whatever little he had, just so that, someone else could benefit from it. He has the faith that the God who has led him thus far will continue to do so.
Such maturity, integrity and empathy. It is amazing. A heart flowing with gratitude.

“I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need” (Paul writing from the prison in Philippi: Philippians 4:11-12).

Show me a content person, and that person almost always has to have a grateful heart. This reminds me of the words I found scribbled in my mother-in-law's Bible, many years after she passed away - "God, give me a grateful heart".

"The miracle of gratitude is that it shifts our perception to such an extent and it changes the world we see" - Dr. Robert Holden