Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Gratitude and Thankfulness

What's the difference between these two? Is there any? Gratitude is defined as a "quality of thankfulness". The words "pleased, relieved, aware and appreciative, grateful" accompany a definition of thankful while thankfulness is defined as a "feeling or expression of gratitude". I like these words quality of, feeling, expression, aware and appreciative. My favorite communicator of real life faith these days, Ann Voskamp says, "When you're looking for joy, you will always find it hiding in your gratitude." And "Thanksgiving to God is the only thing that heals our view of the world." I would expand that "world" to not only the larger one but also to our own small corner. I make it my aim these days to live in an attitude of gratefulness. Now I can think of this description, having a quality of thankfulness. I strive to be aware and appreciative. And I seek to be more joyful. Since the two are related, interconnected, can't really have one without the other, I'm in good company. Today when I am faced with the choice, let me choose to be grateful, to be content, to live out of thankfulness and therefore keep joy from escaping so easily but continuing to reside within.

2 comments:

  1. You have such an interesting blog. Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed reading your posts. All the best for your future blogging journey.

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  2. It is now January 2016 and I have been away for a very long time, just now seeing your comment and it is so wonderfully encouraging to me. Thank you so much! I just said to my husband that I really wanted to seriously create a blog and write much more. He said, "Don't you have one? Well, not one that is up to standards of today's blogs. And so I came here and saw your comment.

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