A grateful heart sees gifts where an ungrateful heart sees only what is lacking.
Discontent darkens the mind and makes a person believe that happiness is always found in what he does not yet possess. Gratitude, however, turns him toward what God has already given and opens his eyes to the providence that has accompanied him each day.
Give thanks to God not only for joys but also for trials. Joys comfort the soul, while trials purify it. The former reveal God’s goodness; the latter teach patience and hope. Both are paths through which the Father works for the salvation of man.
Gratitude does not change the past or remove every hardship, but it changes the heart of the one who gives thanks. It dispels murmuring, calms fear, and kindles love. In a grateful heart, grace always finds a place to dwell.
Begin and end each day with thanksgiving. The one who learns to thank God for little will discover that nothing which comes from His hand is ever little.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
