I am grateful when a random person greets me on the street. It feels good when drivers on the road are polite and exercise patience. I am grateful for the use of my limbs when I see another person in a wheel chair. I am grateful to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin. I am grateful when someone opens a door for me. I am grateful that I can listen to a Mozart symphony or a Chopin étude. I am grateful that I have family and friends who love me and have my best interest at heart.
I am also grateful when I have the opportunity to serve others. Like visiting a friend in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy treatment or delivering a hot meal to a sleep deprived first time mother. Even just writing about what I am grateful for lifts my spirits and gets me thinking about other people.
We all have our ups and downs. Life has a way of testing our mettle and there is no one exempt from this process. We never know what burdens others are carrying. But what I do know is that when I have an attitude of gratitude somehow I am able to withstand my own trials better especially when I am doing something helpful for someone else. My burdens become lighter probably because I am not focused on myself.
So it is my challenge to myself today to find ways I can be of service to another person. I will look for opportunities that I can be a blessing to someone else, maybe even an answer to a prayer.
