- Janet Scott
1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Usually we all think about being more thankful around Thanksgiving but what better time than Spring and early Summer to look around and find some things to be thankful for! I truly believe that the more we practice the attitude of gratitude the happier we are! I found this little story and thought it was worth sharing:
There is an ancient custom in Thailand for expressing gratitude. On the grounds of the temples throughout the country are placed hundreds of brass bowls. The custom is that as a person walks past a bowl they drop a coin in and as the coin rings they say something for which they are grateful.
An American woman was visiting one of these temples and as she walked around the temple grounds she followed this custom. As she paused at the first bowl she said, “I’m grateful for my family.” At the second bowl she said, “I’m thankful for my health.” In bowls three, four and five she expressed gratitude for her love of music, the natural world, her spiritual life. Then she panicked.
The woman saw countless bowls before her and she was afraid that she had run out of things for which to be grateful. She stood for a moment searching her mind for yet another blessing. After a few minutes the woman was flooded with how much she had in her life for which to give thanks. With this new realization the woman approached the next bowl, and the next and completed the process.
The woman decided that before she returned home she would purchase a brass bowl.
To this day she continues this ritual. Every morning she acknowledges the small kindness, the little noticed blessings of everyday life. As a result of this experience and her continued practice she discovered that the blessings are everywhere we choose to look. We simply have to learn to recognize and appreciate them.
Let’s all take this weekend and try to think of all the things in our lives that we are grateful for!
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