WHO HAS A GRATEFUL HEART?

Once in a while something profound comes over the internet.  The following is one of those jewels.

 

A famous writer was in his study.  He picked up his pen and began writing:

 

“Last year, my gallbladder was removed.  I was stuck in bed due to this surgery for a long time. 

 

The same year I reached the age of 60 and had to give up my favorite job.  I had spent 30 years of my life with this publishing company.

 

The same year I experienced the death of my father.

 

In the same year my son failed in his medical exam because he had a car accident.  He had to stay in the hospital with a cast on his leg for several days. And, the destruction of the car was a second loss.

 

His concluding statement:  Alas! It was such a bad year!”

 

 When the writer’s wife entered the room, she found her husband looking dejected, sad and lost in his thoughts.  She carefully and surreptitiously read what he had written, and silently left the room and came back shortly with another piece of paper on which she had written her summary of the year’s events and placed it beside her husband’s paper.  When her husband saw that she had written in response to his account of the year’s events, he read:

 

“Last year I finally got rid of my gallbladder which had given me many years of pain.

 

I turned 60 with sound health and retired from my job.  Now I can utilize my time to write better and with more focus and peace.

 

The same year my father, at the age of 95, without depending on anyone and without any critical conditions, met his Creator.

 

 The same year, God blessed my son with life.  My car was destroyed, but my son was alive and without permanent disability.”

 

At the end she wrote: “This year was an immense blessing and it passed well !”

 

     MORAL:

In our daily lives we must see that it’s not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.  There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.

 

Attitude is Everything.

 

And attitude is the one thing that we always, in every circumstance, have control over.

To this I will add, Amen and so help me, God.

 

Author Unknown

 

Footnote:  Mayhew CBC is full of people with grateful hearts.  Although it isn’t possible to refer to each one, I’d like to share something about one of our parishioners, Tanya Wright.  One of my first impressions of her was when she told me she was thankful to God that she didn’t have a car! Now that was something one doesn’t hear every day!  She went on to explain that while she walks through the neighborhood and to the bus, etc., she has time to stop and visit with neighbors and other people she meets along her travels, something that wouldn’t be possible if she were in a car.  Tanya uses the engaging personality God gave her to strike up conversations, ask people about themselves, witness about the Lord and invite people to church. One person she met is Judy, who has become a long-time and devoted parishioner of Mayhew CBC.  And guess what? Judy is also doing what Tanya does!! My, my, our God surely does have His own plans for each of us! (See above article “A Blessing Not to Have a Car?”)