It is that time of the year when you wish there will soon be a stop to this roller coaster people call life! There is tiredness in your body and your whole being is screaming for some rest. What a year! A year that was supposed to be a good one, especially financially. But it got out of hand with petrol increases and little decreases, interest rates went for a hike and loadshedding took place like never before. At times you thought that you would never see tomorrow, let alone the end of the year … and that’s just it! You have made it through all the turmoil. Should we not take more time and be thankful for trivial things like food on our tables, roofs over our heads, healthy children, and life in general … should we not in this time, take time and thank God for giving Jesus on Christmas day to be born as our saviour … But how do we turn our lives around from one of always asking, moaning, and groaning into a life lived in gratitude towards God?

One of the first things my parents taught me was to say thank you. “Say thank you when someone does something good for you”. “Say thank you when something is passed on to you”. “Say thank you to God when you pray” … Thinking back, I said the words but did not really understand the true meaning of the concept. Yes, I was thankful when I passed metric, got my driver’s license, met and married my wife, had our children, survived a few motorcar accidents, a highjack attempt and recently survived Covid and two surgeries because of Covid…

Came to understand the concept when I met a remarkable man, the Rev Jan Hofmeyr, who was a founder and National Director of StudyTrust for many years. No matter what your task, he would always thank you with sincerity. His prayers inspire anyone who listens. I often wondered about this “gift” of his. How does he do this? Where does this sincerity come from? Working with him for 10 years I discovered by his example that this kind of gratitude is not acquired through dedication or demanding work, nor is it a gift. It comes from a decision you make. The conscious choice to value anything, everything, anybody! That is why he could dedicate his life to helping thousands of disadvantaged young people to make something of their lives.

I also wanted to be like him.

But how do I change my platonic gratitude to sincere gratitude?

Melody Beattie said the following about gratitude: “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

We turn our lives by making a list of all blessings received the past year. Yes, you may even make a list of all the terrible things that happened to you. Then go through them one by one thanking God for every one – good or bad. Don’t just say all the synonyms for the word “thank you”. Think of (reflect and meditate) all the spin offs and positives that you’ve experienced because of this blessing or happening. It won’t be long before your heart and mind will be filled with earnest gratitude. Make notes of your thoughts. Then decide how you are going to prolong this experience by LIVING gratitude!

“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness.

Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.” ~ David O. McKay ~

Be careful! You could lose your gratitude when you’re making comparisons and coveting other possibilities than what God blessed you with. When this happens on a personal level, when it’s our ego that is dissatisfied, then we become ungrateful. But when we want something more, better, or different for the glory of God or for the benefit of the community, this greed may be a manifestation of our devotion, our love, or our yearning for justice.

May the last few months of this year be your opportunity to live gratitude in such a way that everybody who meets you will make a conscious decision to live gratitude.

Original article written by Rev Dirk C Lourens for the Alberton Record in August 2018. Revised for Beacon of Light Congregation, 31 August 2022.