“At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”
In reading this quote by Albert Schweitzer, I think about the many people that have burned the embers within me and set me blazing. I am so grateful for them. From them I have learned that being thankful for all that surrounds us is significant in achieving real, true gratitude.
As I continue my journey through reflection in gratitude, my sixth child comes to mind.
7 Days of gratitude: Day 6: Juliette
My baby. Though she is two and will celebrate the big three in a few short months, I still call her baby. Her presence in my life sparked a fire in me. One that has led me back to the Lord and has caused me to look long and hard at the condition of my life.
In his book, “Anxious For Nothing,” Max Lucado states that the “good life begins, not when circumstances change, but when our attitude toward them does.” Juliette came into the world when my husband and I had been separated for a few years already. I believed that we were headed into a reconciliation but when he found out I was pregnant, he was upset and did not want another child. The situation was devastating. I was anxious and afraid. My heart was broken once again. But when Juliette came into the world, her life sparked change in me. All the good in me was rekindled and the differences in my attitude was evident. The good life had begun again.
conclusion
Each of us is born with the ability to show gratitude. We are all capable of something far greater than we sometimes give ourselves credit for. God has instilled in us a kindness, a love. Being anxious and afraid is the opposite of what God has given to us. Letting go of fear comes when we show gratefulness. When we help to rekindle the light in one another.
