Lent 3 ~ The Secret

The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment

and to thank God for all that He, in His goodness, sends to us day after day.

~  St Gianna Beretta Molla

          Not too long ago, in dealing with someone, it occurred to me that I rarely heard the person being thankful about anything. When I pointed it out, to my surprise and disappointment, the person replied, There was a time when I thanked God hundreds of times a day. I was surprised because I was actually right; disappointed because it felt as if God needed to earn this person’s thankfulness.

          Perhaps, I should not have been disappointed at all. After all, I am pretty familiar with the struggle to be thankful. Even till now, I struggle to make a thankful spirit part of my identity. So many in my family circle are not particularly thankful people too. I believe that many of us might need to work at building up a thankful disposition. Part of that problem might just be because many of us have such a limiting view of thankfulness and thanksgiving. We believe that the stone jars in our lives must be filled to the brim with the things we set our hearts on before we can offer up genuine thanks.

          And yet, thankfulness is so much more.

          It is indeed the rejoicing spirit when things fall in place and dreams come true, when our tables are laden and the heart content. But when our days stretch out long and dry and empty, thanksgiving becomes more of the gathering to the heart of all the old blessings we have received.

          If it doesn’t flow naturally, that is when being thankful will likely be most needed.