Gratitude: The Divine Gift

Gratitude is all-encompassing.

It is a divine gift,
     a commandment,
     a parent virtue,
     a great blessing.

To live with gratitude in our hearts is to touch heaven as
     it invites the Spirit,
     it is becoming,
     it is gracious & honorable,
     generous & noble,
     positive & optimistic.

Gratitude opens our eyes to see what is around us,
     we see our blessings,
     we see His tender mercies,
     we see all that God has done for us,
     we see with an eternal perspective.

Gratitude produces miracles
     keeps us from poverty,
     makes us rich with what we have,
     improves our health,
     enlivens our happiness and well-being.

Gratitude rejoices for that which it has,
     expresses praise,
     lifts us,
     lifts others,
     defeats Satan.

Gratitude brings light by
     chasing out darkness and despair,
     dissolving fear and doubts,
     erasing bitterness and disappointment,
     blocking out negative thoughts and feelings.

Prayer is the key to gratitude.
     humble,
     meek,
     lowly of heart.

Ingratitude is a serious sin,
     it offends the Spirit,
     it is prideful and selfish,
     initiates rebellion, fear & doubt,
     leads us to forget the Lord,
     and keeps us in poverty and misery.

Ingratitude is critical and negative,
     pessimistic and fault-finding,
     complaining and cynical,
     irritable and impatient
     insecure and unhappy.

Gratitude leads us to Jesus Christ,
     it heals us,
     it saves us,
     it cheers us,
     it encourages us,
     it strengthens us.

It is one of the few gifts we can give to Him as we live it.
May our personal lives reflect it,
May it permeate our souls forever more.

(written by me, based on President Thomas S. Monson's Talk "The Divine Gift of Gratitude.")