Gratitude - a Healing Art

I was witness to an amazing selfless act in someone taking time away from their kids and through blood, sweat, & money made an amazing transformation in person's house who is constantly complaining of how they can't take care of the overwhelming responsibilities they have. After seeing the end of this ordeal, I was shocked to the lack of gratitude poured out for the giver.

There is a physiologic response that happens in the body when we give the gratitude and appreciation to others. We are designed to be a social being and gratitude is currency in this society. Most the time, we've replaced this with cash or entitlement, neither of which can hold up to the act and expression of true gratitude for others. We fear rejection, because back when the world was younger, humans lived in tribes and if one was rejected they would often be kicked out of the tribe and would have a hard time surviving. In today's society, we assume, because we pay taxes, pay for our own services, and our gifts, we don't need to be grateful as we provided these things for ourselves with a swipe of our card. Cost is what we spend, Value is what we get and we assume they are equal. Nothing could be farther from the truth, if it wasn't for the hours of volunteerism, the cost would be enormous in almost all venues. I know I am often guilty of this not appreciating my wife for all she does for me and our four kids and then on top of that she is always looking for opportunities to help others in addition to us. As on the other end, we have helped in changing the lives for the better of hundreds of patients over the years and I often curious to why there is only a small percentage of those whose lives were amazingly transformed took the time to say or write 'Thank you.'

Without the expression of gratitude, we will create a constant drawing on the emotional bank accounts we have with others. You know when you feel spited by someone else you don't really feel like giving them the benefit of the doubt, or definitely won't do a favor for them. That is in a nutshell why we either love or dread the Christmas season. We are either grateful that we were spared from the terrible future by a self-sacrificing God on our behalf and want to show that unconditional love to others OR we think of what we didn't get compared to others or some ancient wrong someone did and want to use it as a opportunity to somehow get back at God by being for a simple term, a Grinch. Even the Grinch turned around his heart when he saw the people he wronged give thanks to their maker for what they have, what they don't and not worry, but celebrate the love around them.

Let me challenge you and give you some suggestions. Think of one person who has in any way, big or small, has wronged you and write them a forgiveness letter. Even if you don't send it, better if you do, but if you don't read it then burn it. Choosing right then and there, we are releasing that person from the jail we have put them in, that is of course only in our own mind. I guarantee you will have a freedom you've not recently experienced. Or maybe, find someone who you can see is struggling through their day and stop everything you are doing and offer to help them, open a door, carry the load, encourage them, do a task that is their responsibility for them, clean for them, cook for them, give them a hug, smile and tell them something amazing about them. It's not necessarily for them, but for you, as you do it once, it's like drug, you want it more and more, then you start to learn what it means to give, not to get, but just because....until next time, Merry Christmas!