THANKS LIVING WEEK 2: MORE THAN A HEALING: The Power of a Thankful Heart

Most of us know that gratitude doesn’t always flow like we know it should.

As a kid, my mom trained me to say thank you. But there have been times when I have forgotten to acknowledge a gift, either by sending a card or expressing through my words how appreciative I was for what had been given. The tragic part of those times (gratefully, they have been few) is how my relationship with the person who had given me the gift was affected. When I would run into those people, say for instance at church, though we were on friendly terms there seemed to be an unspoken obstacle there. And once I was able to get my act together and actually THANK them, that relationship obstacle melted away.

You see, gratitude - being thankful for things you have been given - is not simply something you OWE somebody, but it  defines the very nature of a relationship.