Woke up this morning grateful for another glorious day on planet Earth. The birds were singing so lovely and so loudly I could hear them in the house. I took Penelope out for her walk and the sky was blue and cloudless but I could see where Father Sky was beginning to sketch his clouds across the blue heavens. The sun was quickly warming up the day. The feeders were full of birds. A soft wind chime symphony was singing with the faint breeze.

When I got ready for breakfast, I opened the refrigerator to choose a bagel, a cinnamon roll, a frozen waffle, or a biscuit to eat with some cantaloupe, strawberries, or blueberries. I immediately thought, I should be very grateful for a refrigerator full of food. We take so many everyday things for granted. I just grab a bagel most mornings not realizing what a blessing it is to have a refrigerator and the means to fill it with groceries. Like everyone else our groceries run out before the end of the month and we make do with what we have. But I think of the poor starving people who are begging for a meal, their stomachs hollow. We say we’re hungry but honestly, most of us have never actually been truly hungry.

Pondered about the word grateful while I sat perched in the porch swing. I thought all day about what was the most important thing, if I could only name one, to be grateful for. I immediately thought about health and the health of my family and then I realized that wasn’t the correct answer for me. I am most grateful for my faith in God. So many, many times in my life I’ve grasped a short raveling thread of faith while God was faithfully reweaving the thread on the other end with his loving hands. He didn’t pull me up, he let me work my way faithfully on my own time frame to grab the stronger thread in his hand. He listened to my prayers and healed me through his grace.

When my daughter was killed in a car wreck I almost lost my faith wondering why God chose to punish me by taking her from our family. I doubted my faith and wondered what sin I had committed to cause her death. I was in a dark place but God was the light that brought me back to the land of the living, back to my faith in a loving God. God never abandoned me, didn’t punish me when I doubted my faith and got angry and questioned him. He listened to my prayers as I prayed for strength and grace to face the world without her. God healed my broken spirit. He strengthened our marriage and gave Chief and me hope of reuniting with her in heaven. I know I will see her and Chief again and I look forward to that glorious reunion in heaven. I’m not scared of death because I know they will be there with me.

When you feel thankful for the good things in your life you are grateful for all blessings, both great and small. Thankfulness is an emotion we express but gratitude is an attitude of being thankful and appreciative of our daily life and all its blessings. All the everyday things we take for granted — having a roof over our heads, food, clean water, family, friends, bird songs, porch swings — be grateful and thankful to the Lord for these daily gifts.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 reads, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.” I think gratitude helps us be happy and more importantly helps us be content. If we’re grateful for our circumstances positive things happen in our life. Complaining about things we don’t have only makes us miserable. Appreciate every day with its beautiful sunshine or its thundering rainstorm. We only pass this way once and we’re responsible for our own happiness. Be grateful for what you have and thank God for all the everyday blessings.

“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.” —Henri Frederic Amiel