Gratitude is a choice

Dear God,
I sat quietly at the dining table staring at the cubes of sugar in my front.
How did this sugar get to my table? From wherever it was produced.
I thought about the many hands and many labourers that had gone to create this single cube for my cup of tea.
Some woke up at 5 am to get to the sugar plantation and laboured till maybe 6-7 pm.
Planting, weeding, pruning and harvesting. Then comes the factory processing, testing and packaging until it is shipped to the market.
The strategic marketing until I get to buy a pack. And then I carelessly pluck out a cube and drop it into my cup with so much entitlement feeling privileged to own a pack.
What’s the big deal right? It’s their job.
Every time we close our eyes and go to sleep, we are oblivious to how much our hearts need to keep pumping blood all over our bodies. How much the blood needs to stay in circulation and how much work our lungs have to do to keep breathing while we sleep.
Then we wake up, hit our feet on the floor, pick that body up and move on.
What’s the big deal anyway? It’s the organ’s job to function.
Why should we say a silent thank you to all those who laboured to make that cube of sugar…its their job isn’t it?
Why should we pause to say thank you to that security guy that opened that gate?
It’s his job.
Why smile at that waiter or waitress? They are doing their job, what’s the sweat?
Why pause to say thank you for the miracle that kept us alive through the night? It was meant to be anyway, Yes?
And why should we be bothered about what our legs have to go through to take all those pounds of flesh with blood around town? That’s why it’s there anyway, Yes?
So the dogs barked and drove the thieves away. And so? Dogs bark anyway, what is the big deal?
That wicked frown on your face is because the salt in the food was just a lace too much, and you threw that big fuss, after all, you paid for good food, right?
Why should we give up our seat on the bus for an older person, or a woman pregnant or not? Everyone has a problem, right? You solve yours and I solve mine, don’t lean on me please….right?
When the bus, taxi or plane stops, we get off and walk away, with no need to say thanks to the flight crew, driver, or conductor who brought us there. Why should we? We paid full price for those services, yes? And they delivered, case closed.
But gratitude is a choice and I choose to be grateful.
So before all the busyness begins again, the hectic rushings with so many priorities clamouring to take our attention.
Before the competing culture for the heart and the head begins, before the adrenaline rushes and relentless activities take over our daily lives, let the truth of gratitude wash over us.
We may know in every ounce of our being that you are our Lord and our help.
We choose to turn over all our needs and non-needs to you, all our beliefs and unbeliefs, all our trust and mistrust to you in totality.
Lord, we will never know as much as you do. We can only see the world and our lives with myopic all-too-human eyes and will usually miss the bigger picture of your structure.
But amid the noise and distractions, we choose to hear your voice.
Amid wars and rumours of war, we choose your peace.
Amid turbulence and uncertainties, we choose to trust in your promises.
We could shake the crystal ball to predict the times, but we choose to believe in your words.
We could flag the horoscopes to peep into the year, but we choose to fear no evil.
A thousand will likely fall by our sides, another tens of thousands by our right hand. They will not come near us, however, we will see it happen in our time and before us, as a testimony of your goodness towards us.
The sun will shine on us and our enemies at the same time, we, unfortunately, cannot do anything about it. The same rain will fall on us all whether we are at war with each other or at peace.
And as much as we are alive, our lungs will draw on the same hot or cold air.
And since gratitude is a choice, we choose to be grateful for all these blessings on those we like and those we don’t.
We are grateful not because we can ever love you enough, but because you love us enough.
We are grateful not because we have faith enough but because your grace is sufficient for us.
We are grateful not because we know tomorrow but because we know HIM that holds tomorrow.
We are grateful not because we are not afraid but because You are our God, you will strengthen us, You will help us and You will uphold us with your righteous right hand.
And since gratitude is a choice, we choose to be grateful.
This is your daughter, and I am checking in gratefully.