One of the hardest things you will ever do in life is to keep giving cheerfully to someone who is not grateful. A young boy once looked at me in awe and said “Sir, I cannot do what you are doing, I cannot keep helping people who are not only ungrateful but also unworthy of any act of kindness. This reminded me of the words of Jamal Bryant, he said “One of the hardest things you will ever do is to forgive somebody who is not sorry.”
Feeling grateful and not expressing it is just like winking at a beautiful lady in a dark hall, such display of interest will not attract her attention. Every cheerful giver is spurred to do more by a cheerful receiver. However, our motive for showing gratitude should go beyond our desire for more gifts, it should be because we want to be intentional about our attitude towards what we have received.
We sometimes feel unblessed because we take for granted the ‘little big shots’ in our lives. The fact that we do not acknowledge or appreciate certain blessings does not mean they are non-existent. One of the greatest gifts of life that we take for granted is our ability to breath without any form of medical aid. Statistics shows that an adult weighing about 70kg makes 17, 820 breaths in a day and by implication inhale about 8,640 litres of air per day. Gratitude opens our eyes to blessings that cannot be behold with naked eyes, treasures that cannot be touched with hands and favours that can only be felt.
Some folks may be in a situation where breath seems worthless but have we ever wondered that if God could keep us breathing even in extreme pains, He is able to make us survive the storm without scars. God is kind and merciful but He wants us to show appreciation before we put forward application for more benefits. It is interesting to know that each day has already been loaded with benefits, our prayers will not compel God to create what we desire, prayers will only help us take delivery of what we has created already.
Gratitude shows the gravity of grace in a man’s attitude but ingratitude shows the intensity of a man’s ignominy. Suffice to say here that appreciation requires right attitude for it to be acceptable.
Gratitude is a unique currency in the kingdom of kindness, it is a legal tender used to attract favourable consideration while applying for more blessings. James Allen wrote “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks”.
Ingratitude is worse than armed robbery, nothing is more dishonourable than despising the smallest of gifts from a cheerful giver. A good gift leaves the heart before it leaves the hands. Appreciation may not compare to the effort of giving but it will complement kindness. Gratitude is not payment for kindness, it should not be expected but expressed. Inability to show gratitude does not reduce the reward of the giver, it only reduces the right of the receiver to more benefits.
Paulo Coelho wrote “Every blessing ignored becomes a curse”. One of the ways to show gratitude to God for all He has done is being a blessing to others, kindness is like a baton in a relay race, you don’t win by keeping it to yourself.
A cheerful giver does not always expect gratitude but a cheerful receiver should always express gratitude. Gratitude is an excellent expression that compliments compassion. Plentiful harvests await thankful hearts. The magnitude of our gratitude shows the pulchritude of our attitude. Be grateful and be intentional about it.