January 10, 2005

Gratitude

A Friend, Marjorie (Unclimber and Yearning for Stillness blogs) commenting on my last post wrote, “…I'm washed with gratitude…The gratitude comes in the stillness, its ecstasy.” This is so beautiful, Marjorie. Thank you!

This feeling of gratitude has been a natural and fundamental part of my spiritual journey. I have had the almost overwhelming feeling at times of gratefulness – for everything. At times this has felt like joyfulness, at other times, like my heart overflowing. The feeling of gratefulness itself has become an almost constant companion.

John Milton said, “Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.”

Gratitude is a reverent and peaceful way. Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary becomes a transcendent moment of awe and gratitude. Gratitude makes us feel good right here and now for all that we are and all that we have. Anger and fear disappear with genuine gratitude. This thankfulness brings peace and overflows to those around us. With this genuine feeling of gratefulness, we return to a natural state of joy, love and peace, knowing we are whole and complete just as we are.

With gratitude,

4 comments:

Trev Diesel said...

Excellent post. And remember Meister Eckhart's comment:

"If the only prayer you ever say is 'Thank You,' that would suffice."

Thanks, Meredith.

Larry Clayton said...

Wow, Trev.

Re gratitude: that may be my primary form of virtue. A man named Carothers, wrote a little book called, Prison to Praise (he had actually gone that route). He taught me to Praise the Lord, when I got caught by a traffic light, and cured one of my worst failings.

Darrell Grizzle said...

Meredith, your beautiful post on gratitude has inspired me to do a post of my own, at Blog of the Grateful Bear. Thank you very much for such an inspiring site!

Marjorie said...

thank you, Meredith. How wonderful that 'gratefulness itself has become an almost constant companion.' It is easy for me to loose it. You have inspired me.