Pastor's E on The Art of Gratitude

This was printed on Sunday bullentin. I find this great so decided to type it out.

The Art of Gratitude

Introduction
True gratitude is an act. A decisive act. The inner spirit that is truly thankful expresses itself spontaneously. It comes forth eloquently in varied ways.

A thoughtful gift, A note of thanks. A genuine smile. A helping hand.
And even a forgiving graciousness - one that overlooks the times when these acts are not likewise reciprocated - for true gratitude, like true love, doesn't keep score of wrongs.

Yet more than an act, true gratitude is an art. It is the art of a tutored soul. It is the art of a noble mind. It is the art of an indebted heart.

For many, however, gratitude is a lost art. There are more gripes than gratefulness. There is a restless dissatisfaction within the soul. Lehman once wrote:

It was Spring, but it was Summer I wanted -
The warm days and the great outdoors
It was Summer, but it was Autumn I wanted -
The colourful leaves and the cool dry air.
It was Autumn, but it was Winter I wanted -
The beautiful snow and the joy of the holiday season.
It was Winter, but it was spring I wanted -
The warmth and the blossoming of nature.

I was a child, but it was adulthood I wanted -
The freedom and the respect
I was 20, but it was 30 I wanted -
To be matured and sophisticated.
I was middle-aged, but it was 20 I wanted -
The youth and the free spirit.
I was retired, but it was middle-age I wanted -
The presence of mind, without limitations.
Then my life was over, and I never got what I wanted.

Never enough. Never satisfied. Never happy. Never truly grateful.

We miss a fundamental truth. True happiness in life is not about getting what we want but rather, it's about wanting what we get. And being grateful for it. ( This means be thankful for what we have right now, what is presented to us, we ought to thankfully accept it from the Lord)
As the curtain comes down upon 2007, let's look back meaningfully on what we have been blessed with. We can choose to gripe about what we don't have or to be grateful for what we have already been blessed with.

What are you truly thankful for? Let's cultivate the art of gratitude. And act on it!

I only realised how to be grateful to the Lord at the age of 40. It took a great trial to help me see God's hand upon me. The past five years I learned to see things in God's perspective, this make the difference. I learned to be thankful for all that I have, my heart's desire is to be a person of influence in the Lord and see lifes change.