All around us there are these surprises of
kindly interference, manifesting the grace of
life, the tenderness and mercy of God. Thus
our hearts are wooed into thanksgiving and
praise for what has been given to us.
Howard Thurman
THE ALCHEMY OF GRATITUDE
Gratitude is where freedom and destiny meet, because gratitude is a divine doorway to the fulfillment of destiny. When you consciously choose to express thanksgiving, causation is set into motion to manifest your destiny of Wholeness.
Gratitude generates enthusiasm, the fuel on the spiritual path that propels us Godward. “Enthusiasm” comes from the Greek “theos,” which means “to be in God.” Today, enthusiastically leap into gratitude for no other reason than that you are alive. Celebrate your existence as an emanation of God! Remember, however, that you cannot misuse gratitude, thinking that if you master this quality you can manipulate universal law to fulfill your desires. You cannot manipulate yourself into the good life by being grateful. That is the talk of the surface mind. Gratitude becomes causation for greater demonstrations of good in your life when you sincerely express thankfulness for your existence as an individualized expression of God.
Authentic gratitude is a way of life. When you wake up in the morning, let your first thought be one of thanksgiving that you have another day to walk in the love of God. As you go through your day, see the Giver behind all of the gifts freely being given to you.
As events present themselves in your experience, train your consciousness to be in gratitude independent of judging them as desirable or undesirable. Remain nonattached. Then, at night, train your last thought before sleep to be one of thanksgiving for the miracle of knowing God, whose pleasure it is to give you the kingdom.
AFFIRMATION
Today I fling open wide the door of my gratitude in humble recognition of the divine Presence that holds me in the eternal embrace of its self-givingness.