An Attitude of Gratitude Goes a Long Way

by Maria (Ehma) Porpio

Gratitude as perceived by the receiver:

After a long day of therapy and no sleep, Luke's weakness finally gave in. From having a difficulty transitioning to being sensitive to what triggers him, he then had a meltdown. It was already quite a battle to deal with this behavior at the comfort of our own domicile, let alone at the Therapy Center. His misery couldn't wait for us to even get to our truck. Others perhaps call it a struck of luck but I rather recognize it as a blessing when during his loud cries, hard kicks and seemingly helpless emotional decline, Dr Rydell, the owner of the Center led him to the floor to give him a massage and to aid him with the right breathing technique, without saying the words breathe in and breathe out. After only a couple of minutes, he calmed down and in front of me and the two therapists surrounding him, he said words we never expected he would say considering his prior tenor. He stood up and said, "Thank you, guys!" Those two simple words were positively unprecedented and there was not a dry eye in the house.

Gratitude as a blessing to the giver:

When I used to work for my dad, I had two different assignments for different reasons: one, as an Accounts Collector for clients whose debts are due and two, as Santa’s elf as I was tasked to deliver calendars, T-shirts and Christmas wishes to all loyal clients. Along with the latter is my opportunity to be able to deliver, aside from T-shirts and calendars, but also rice and canned goods to the outskirts of our city for our less fortunate neighbors.

The first job was the hardest and most draining of all as people tend to get defensive facing me with their rants and raves. Or worse, they fell into the cowardice to avoid me at all cost. Although, there were many I know who didn't wait for the end of the month to settle but there were also a handful clients who were unimaginably irresponsible. It is only during Christmas time when they opened their homes as the delivery of Christmas cheer was expected. These were the people who had no satisfaction as they long for more instead of feeling grateful for what they already had.

However, as I finalized my task, delivering goods to the outside community, I felt overwhelmingly blessed as I saw these less fortunate among us whom after receiving the packed rice and canned goods had the most genuine smiles and sincerest “THANK YOUs”. While the other group of people I mentioned above usually demanded for more, like a bigger calendar or more shirts, these poor community felt we gave them more than enough waving all the way until we couldn’t see them from afar. It was indeed heart-warming and until now, that memory still finds me blessed and compelled me to give not just abundantly, but also intentionally.

Treasure in intentional giving:

Dave Ramsey, one of my favorite authors of financial freedom and America’s trusted voice on money explained the value of purposeful giving very clearly. We are only stewards of God’s creation, including wealth. All our money are God’s; we are simply managers. Then if we have the knowledge that everything isn't ours, we will then manage whatever we have on our hands according to God’s plan. God’s plan doesn't include indulging the whims of the complainers because they can never be satisfied no matter how much you give them. They might perhaps need some enlightenment as opposed to money which will lead them to mismanagement and more sorrow since if they're not healthy to take charge of small amount, how much more if entrusted with abundance. God’s plan doesn't support the lazy so they don’t need to work. God is not happy when we give everything without knowing how His wealth was used, either for His glory or not.

Matthew 25:29-30

“For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (From the parable of talents)

That attitude of gratitude is a prerequisite to contentment. Only when we possess that ability can we feel we have more than enough because blessings outpour to anyone who has the trait of first, recognizing the gift. 

Make that attitude of gratitude go a long way:

The two virtues are indeed married to each other. It is also when we feel contentment that we are most grateful. When we don’t want anything else but feel we already have everything we need, that’s when we find ourselves the happiest. And because we have that overwhelming joy, we can hardly contain it, we are then compelled to give and give and give. It is only when we give that we find Christ within us. That's what the spirit of Christmas is all about.