Gratefulness..

The song of gratitude lures the humility out of the shadows. For to receive a gift, the knees must bend, the hands must lie vulnerable open and the will must bow to accept whatever the Giver chooses to give..

A friend shared the above quote out of a book she's reading. This coupled with the reflecting on the thoughts of my mind lately is worthy of a blog post! :)

I am often a glass-half-empty realist type. It comes from years of having to figure out life on my own. Caring and providing for my family. Figuring out next steps for my own life. Weighing and considering all options comes naturally to me. I could easily work as an 'analyst'! Ha!

However, being a realist means that one must also acknowledge the good along with the bad. But while I can recount all the 'bad' that happens, do I take the time to remember the good? Do I look hard for all the wonderful things in my life? I am often guilty of not considering all the blessings that I have been given. All the wonderful people that I have had the privilege of getting to know. All the experiences - heart-wrenching, absolutely amazing or mind-numbing as they may be - that have shaped the person that I am and place in life I am. The sheer mercy that God gives on a daily basis that allows my heart to beat, my hands to type this post, and my mouth to speak, and the biochemistry of my cells to continue to function.

As I acknowledge all these gifts in my life - I must realize that nothing I do or am is a consequent of my own self! As I acknowledge my own inability to control anything, I realize the extent of my own willful self. And realize that it is only an act of mercy that I am where I am. No, my life is simply a gift of my Maker. I am simply clay and dust. I am a product of my Maker's creativity and mercy. My role and response then is to simply be obedient and grateful. Thanks be to God for this amazingly never-imagined wild life! Gratefulness is current song I'm singing. :)