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There is a
wonderful Hasidic parable about the power of gratitude to change the
course of our destiny in a heartbeat, the speed, I imagine, it takes
for a "thank you" to reach Heaven's ears.
Once times were
tough. Two men--both poor farmers--were walking down a country
lane and met their Rabbi. "How is it for you?" the
Rabbie asked the first man. "Lousy," he grumbled,
bemoaning his lot and lack. "Terrible, hard, awful.
Not worth getting out of bed for. Life is lousy."
Now, God was
eavesdropping on this conversation. "Lousy?" the
Almighty thought. "You think your life is lousy now, you
ungrateful lout? I'll show you what lousy is."
Then, the Rabbi
turned to the second man. "And you, my friend?"
"Ah,
Rabbi--life is good. God is so gracious, so generous. Each
morning when I awaken, I'm so grateful for another day, for I know,
rain or shine, it will unfold in wonder and blessings too bountiful to
count. Life is so good."
God smiled as the
second man's thanksgiving soared upwards until it became one with the
harmony of the heavenly hosts. Then the Almighty roared with
delighted laughter. "Good? You think your life is
good now? I'll show you what good is!"
Gratitude is the
most passionate transformative force in the cosmos. When we
offer thanks to God or to another human being, gratitude gifts us with
renewal, reflection, reconnection. Gratitude bestows reverence,
allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent
moments of awe that change forever how we experience life (is it
abundant or is it lacking?) and the world (is it friendly or is it
hostile?). Once we accept that abundance and lack are parallel
realities and that each day we choose--consciously or
unconsciously--which world we will inhabit, a deep inner shift in our
reality occurs. We discover the sacred in the ordinary and we
realize that every day is literally a gift. How we conduct our
daily round, how we celebrate it, cherish it, and consecrate it is how
we express our thankfulness to the Giver of all good.
Gratitude holds us
together even as we're falling apart. Ironically, gratitude's
most powerful mysteries are often revealed when we are struggling in
the midst of personal turmoil. When we stumble in the darkness,
rage in anger, hurl faith across the room, abandon all hope.
While we cry ourselves to sleep, gratitude waits patiently to console
and reassure us; there is a landscape larger than the one we can see.
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So
that everyone can experience the transformational rewards of
being grateful, Ban Breathnach designed a day-by-day journal
for counting one's blessing. Years of disciplined gratitude
have taught Ban Breathnach that "if you give thanks for
five gifts every day, in two months you may not look at your
life in the same way as you might now." Ideally, the
journal writer will feel less discontent and
"complicated need" and instead feel more awareness
of simple abundance. The journal itself is highly
inviting--bordered with simple country colors of cream, corn
yellow, and dried sage. But even more inviting are the
inspirational quotes sprinkled throughout, such as Henry Van
Dyke's message: "Gratitude is twofold--love coming to
visit us and love running out to greet a welcome
guest." |
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