Thankfulness....

As my followers know, I have done several series on gratitude during Lent.  I want to share my faith story with everyone in gratitude for God's endless mercy to me.

However, as important as gratitude is, and as much as I have thought about it, it is not the only aspect of grace response that I consider.  I have been contemplating thankfulness recently, and feel the time has come to share some of the journey with those who would like to walk with me as I reflect on this topic.  It is, in a sense, my Thanksgiving offering to the God who has given me everything.  People have been kind enough to share with me how much they have enjoyed and appreciated my thoughts, and that my words have, in some cases, helped them along their faith journey, too.  It encourages me to continue the story, and I love it when you share with me, as well.

So we begin here - are these two things, gratitude and thankfulness, different?  I believe that, although often bound up in some of the same events, they are, in fact, very different responses, emanating from different places within our soul.

Gratitude is fairly straightforward.  You can usually find something to be grateful for, because, as the cliche goes, it could always be worse.  Even small blessings bring a rush of gratitude, as you consider the alternatives.

Likewise, it is easy to be carelessly thankful when everything is going our way. But while gratitude is based on what we have already received, thankfulness is rooted in trust.  It is less tangible and more fragile, all at the same time.  To my mind, gratitude is a response, thankfulness is an action.  I take for my inspiration 1 Thessalonians 5:18:

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

That is my challenge, my goal and my mission statement.  To be able to give thanks, no matter what is happening in my life, good or bad, and to trust that God has a plan that will surpass any understanding I have in that moment.  God knows my future, and he has it covered, even if I can't see it from my limited perspective.

I am not a theologian or philosopher, I am a simple human sharing my story.  Thank you for once again sharing my faith journey from now until Thanksgiving, whether it is one day or every post. Wishing you thankfulness in your journey, as I am thankful in mine.