Quote From Grateful:

“Gratitude is not warm feelings about what we have. Instead, gratitude is the ability to

embrace the gift of who we are. That we are. In the multibillion year history of the

universe, the gift is that each one of us has been born, can love, grows in awareness,

and has a story. Life is the gift. And when that mystery fills our hearts, it overwhelms

us, and a deep river of emotions flow forth. I am. We all are. What we feel when we

contemplate this remarkable thing–that feeling is gratitude.”

Awareness:

Urgency, obligation, technology, and busyness all prevent us from encountering awe

and wonder. Too often, we feel we have to go away from everyday life to the ocean or

the mountains to recapture the mysteries of existence. But we need not go far to find

wonder. We can look inside. For the greatest mystery is the one we most often take for

granted: that we are alive.

Where do you experience wonder?

Practice:

Take ten minutes today for silence. Plan a time when this is possible (morning, lunch

break, in the early evening), sit somewhere you will not be disturbed, and set a timer.

Reflect on the words, “I am. We all are.”

• What happened in the silence?
• Did a sense of gratitude emerge in this exercise?

Jot your responses in a small notebook or on your cell phone. In the evening, review and

reflect on the relationship between life and thanks.

Prayer:

God, whose name in the Hebrew scripture is revealed to be “I AM,” we tremble that

each one of us is created in this divine image. We can say with you, “I am.” We stand on

this holy ground, consumed with wonder, knowing that life is the greatest gift of all.

Thank you.