The Gift and the Thanks

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It turns denial into acceptance,

chaos into order, confusion to clarity.

It can turn a meal into a feast,

a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.

Melody Beattie

As I ventured into this 30 day journey, I am aware I am not perfect, I am not a prophet and I am no saint. I ventured on this journey to improve myself, to lead a life of no regrets and this journey will continue with the remainder of my life, however long God chooses that to be.

As I write my daily blogs, I too take time to reflect and to change, and while some change has occurred overtime, other change is in progress.

I am honored and truly grateful that I have motivated and inspired those who have read my blog and I too hope that you will one day be on your journey.

Today, I would like to take the time to thank you again.

One thing I do daily is to give infinite love and gratitude. I am grateful for every day of my life, for every meal, every conversation. The simple time spent with my wife eating a most basic meal of rice with soya kicap and butter, the time spent throwing around the ball with Al E, the time spent discussing our hopes and dreams, the Friday evening meditation class and the people in it, the job that I have, my parents, my friends.

I am grateful for it all. I am grateful for God and my guardian, I am grateful for the love bestowed upon me by them.

I am grateful for the sun and the rain, the moon and the stars, the chirping of birds in the morning, the waves crashing against the shore, my little jungle hut.

We can only said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.

We talk about gratitude a lot but how often do we practice it in our daily lives?

Two years ago I started a gratitude journal then I stopped. But daily as I get up and before I go to sleep, I am grateful to God and I tell him what else in my life I am grateful for. This has not stopped and will not.

There is a story from my meditation class but I will not share it here to keep the privacy of the individuals intact.

I will use what the Bible has taught us in another story. The story of ten men who had leprosy and shouted out to Jesus to help them and have pity on them.

Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priests. Those days, only the priests could confirm if someone was free from leprosy and free to go back to their families.

As they were going to the temple to show themselves to the priests, they were miraculously cured of leprosy and could then go home.

One of the guys said, "Hey wait a minute guys, before I go home to my family, I want to thank God and the One responsible, I want to go thank Jesus."

The other nine told him, "What do you mean? We want to go to our families, we haven't seen them for years."

Well, the one went on alone to thank Jesus and God and when he threw himself at Jesus feet and thanked him, Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except for this one?"

Then Jesus told him, "Rise and go, your faith has made you well."

Before we judge the other nine to harshly, how many times have we not gone back and thanked God or Universe? What is it about the human heart that allows us to take God, things and even people for granted?

Many a times when we need something, we will pray to God and say, "I'll do anything, please show me the way."

And when God provides, even if it is not always exactly what we want and when we want it, we neglect to thank Him. Sometimes we even curse Him, why did he insult me by giving me such a bad gift?

On that day, ten men received an gift and only one unwrapped it.

Gratitude will change you, it will open your heart to God and you will experience blessings in your life which you never have. It increase your capacity to love and it will make your heart grow.

We will become more aware of the details of the life we love, the simple things that delight us and the people God has placed in our lives. With gratitude, you will have the capacity to enjoy life.

Ingratitude will of course have the opposite effect. It will cause our hearts to shrink and become cold. It will block the flow of God's wisdom, love and blessings in our life. People who are not grateful will be always dissatisfied, grumble, complain and be negative. Nothing will be good enough for these people, even act of goodwill by God will be seen in arrogance.

Unfortunately, just like the Biblical story, 90% of people do not take time to stop and thank God.

Be in the 10% like me, my eyes are wide open, and I fully appreciate every moment. I am doing my best to live life to the fullest of my heart, filled with infinite love and infinite gratitude for everything around me, the people and God too.

Go thank someone you normally do not, see how it feels. I just did a few hours ago.

Also, take time to do something simple that you miss and feel gratitude, be it smelling the roses, freshly cut grass, a cup of coffee or just the smell of steaming Thosai or Roti Canai even. We truly have many things to be grateful for. Thank you God.

Take care and be well.