O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for his mercy endureth forever.
Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!
For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing.
– Christianity: Psalm 107
What is to come is better for you than what has gone before: For your Lord will certainly give you, and you will be content…Keep recounting the favors of your Lord.
– Islam-The Qur’an
Abraham caused God’s name to be mentioned by all the travellers whom he entertained. For after they had eaten and drunk, and when they arose to bless Abraham, he said to them, “Is it of mine that you have eaten? Surely it is of what belongs to God that you have eaten. So praise and bless Him by whose word the world was created.” –Judaism, Talmud
Become ye as the birds who offer Him their thanks, and in the blossoming bowers of life chant ye such melodies as will dazzle the minds of those who know. Raise ye a banner on the highest peaks of the world, a flag of God’s favour to ripple and wave in the winds of His grace; plant ye a tree in the field of life, amid the roses of this visible world, that will yield a fruitage fresh and sweet. –Baha’i
Native Blessing
Bless these, our circumstances.
Bless the hardship and the pain.
Bless the hunger and the thirst
Bless the locusts and the drought.
Bless the things which do not turn out right.
Bless those who take all and give not.
In these circumstances, find growth.
In growth, discover clarity,
In clarity, a inner vision.
– Spirit Walker
To thank God for His bounties consisteth in possessing a radiant heart, and a soul open to the promptings of the spirit. This is the essence of thanksgiving. – Baha’i
God created foods to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is rejected if it is received with thanksgiving; for then it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. – Christianity, 1 Timothy 4.3.-5
“Make an attitude to be in gratitude; you will find the whole Universe will come to you.” – Yogi Bhajan
Be generous in prosperity and thankful in adversity. – Baha’i
“…Any who is grateful does so to the profit of his own soul…” Quran: 31:12
“Let gratitude be like the sun to your flower. Keep your face always turned toward its light.” – Leah D. Schade
“What would you have this morning if all you had was what you gave thanks for yesterday?” – Anonymous
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” – G.K. Chesterton
O friends of the Merciful! — move your tongues to thank the Loving Lord, and employ yourselves in praising and glorifying the Beauty of the Adored One, for ye were granted the privilege to be exhilarated from this most pure cup, and became full of cheer and attraction from this goblet of wine. Ye have perfumed your nostrils with the fragrances of sanctity, and delighted your senses with the scent of the garment of the Joseph of faithfulness. Ye tasted the honey of devotion from the hand of the Unique Beloved and partook of the eternal table at the feast of the blessing of the Presence of the Unity. This favor is one of the special gifts of the Presence of the Merciful, and this grace and generosity is one of the incomparable gifts of our Loving Lord. This is in accordance with what Christ said: “Many are called, but few chosen.” That is to say, there are many who are invited, but those souls who are signalized with the grace and favor of guidance are but very rare. “This is the bounty of God; He will give the same unto whom He pleaseth; and God is endowed with great bounty.” – Baha’i
The unworthy man is ungrateful, forgetful of benefits done to him…..
but the worthy person is grateful and mindful of benefits done to him.
This gratitude, this mindfulness, is congenial to the best people.
– Buddhism
Thankfulness is being grateful for what we have. It is an attitude of gratitude for learning, loving, and being. It is also being thankful for the little things that happen around us and within us every day. It is an openness and willingness to receive each of God’s bounties. To be thankful is to have a sense of wonder about the beauty of this world and to welcome all of life as a gift. Thankfulness is a path to contentment.
I am thankful for the many gifts within me and around me today. I celebrate each moment by opening myself to beauty and to learning. I expect the best.
– Pace of Grace
… you must thank God that He has bestowed upon you the blessing of life and existence in the human kingdom. Strive diligently to acquire virtues befitting your degree and station. Be as lights of the world which cannot be hid and which have no setting in horizons of darkness. Ascend to the zenith of an existence which is never beclouded by the fears and forebodings of nonexistence. – Baha’i
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward
If thou dost act according to the commandments and exhortations of God, know thou for a certainty that the luminosity of thy face will day by day increase. Be thou happy and well pleased and arise to offer thanks to God, in order that thanksgiving may conduce to the increase of bounty. – Baha’i
O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with psalms!
3For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
4In his hand are the deep places of the earth; the strength of the hills is his also.
5The sea is his, and he made it, and the dry land, and his hands formed the dry land.
6O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
7For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Psalm 95:1-7
Thank God that — praise be to God! — the glass of thy life and heart hath become bright with the lamp of guidance, and the chalice of hope and desire hath overflowed with the wine of the love of God. This is an attainment and blessing that, if thou give thanks a thousand centuries and cycles, thou wilt not be capable of doing justice. Therefore, in the utmost of joy, gladness, rejoicings and endless happiness thou must open thy tongue in thanksgiving and glorifying the Lord of mercy and become the cause of enlightenment. – Bahai
“Brighten the corner where you are. You don’t blame God for placing you in a dark corner…
You rather have to thank him for giving you the light to make it bright!”
― Israelmore Ayivor, Leaders’ Watchwords
In the spiritual world the divine bestowals are infinite, for in that realm there is neither separation nor disintegration, which characterize the world of material existence. Spiritual existence is absolute immortality, completeness and unchangeable being. Therefore, we must thank God that He has created for us both material blessings and spiritual bestowals. He has given us material gifts and spiritual graces, outer sight to view the lights of the sun and inner vision by which we may perceive the glory of God. – Baha’i
“Enough is a feast.” Buddhist proverb
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” Eckhart Tolle
“If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily.” Gerald Good
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” Melody Beattie
“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” Willie Nelson
Thankfulness is of various kinds. There is a verbal thanksgiving which is confined to a mere utterance of gratitude. This is of no importance because perchance the tongue may give thanks while the heart is unaware of it. Many who offer thanks to God are of this type, their spirits and hearts unconscious of thanksgiving. This is mere usage, just as when we meet, receive a gift and say thank you, speaking the words without significance. One may say thank you a thousand times while the heart remains thankless, ungrateful. Therefore, mere verbal thanksgiving is without effect. But real thankfulness is a cordial giving of thanks from the heart. When man in response to the favors of God manifests susceptibilities of conscience, the heart is happy, the spirit is exhilarated. These spiritual susceptibilities are ideal thanksgiving.
There is a cordial thanksgiving, too, which expresses itself in the deeds and actions of man when his heart is filled with gratitude. For example, God has conferred upon man the gift of guidance, and in thankfulness for this great gift certain deeds must emanate from him. To express his gratitude for the favors of God man must show forth praiseworthy actions. In response to these bestowals he must render good deeds, be self-sacrificing, loving the servants of God, forfeiting even life for them, showing kindness to all the creatures. He must be severed from the world, attracted to the Kingdom of Abha, the face radiant, the tongue eloquent, the ear attentive, striving day and night to attain the good pleasure of God. Whatsoever he wishes to do must be in harmony with the good pleasure of God. He must observe and see what is the will of God and act accordingly. There can be no doubt that such commendable deeds are thankfulness for the favors of God. – Baha’i
“When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself.” Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief
“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” A.A. Milne
“The world has enough beautiful mountains and meadows, spectacular skies and serene lakes. It has enough lush forests, flowered fields, and sandy beaches. It has plenty of stars and the promise of a new sunrise and sunset every day. What the world needs more of is people to appreciate and enjoy it.” Michael Josephson
“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” – Meister Eckhart
“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.” Albert Schweitzer
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” Oprah Winfrey
“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.” Henri Frederic Amiel
“It is impossible to feel grateful and depressed in the same moment.” Naomi Williams
“In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Be Thankful
Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire … if you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don’t know something … for it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times … during those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations … they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge… which will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes … they will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you’re tired and weary … because it means you’ve given your all.
It’s easy to be thankful for the ‘good’ things … yet, a life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive … find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.
– Author Unknown
Thankful Story
When Mrs. Klein told her first graders to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful, she thought how little these children, who lived in a deteriorating neighborhood, actually had to be thankful for. She knew that most of the class would draw pictures of turkeys or of bountifully laden Thanksgiving tables. That was what they believed was expected of them. What took Mrs. Klein aback was Douglas’s picture. Douglas was so forlorn and likely to be found close in her shadow as they went outside for recess.
Douglas’s drawing was simply this: A hand, obviously, but whose hand? The class was captivated by his image. “I think it must be the hand of God that brings us food,” said one student.
“A farmer,” said another, “because they grow the turkeys.”
“It looks more like a policeman, and they protect us.” “I think,” said Lavinia, who was always so serious, “that it is supposed to be all the hands that help us, but Douglas could only draw one of them.”
Mrs. Klein had almost forgotten Douglas in her pleasure at finding the class so responsive. When she had the others at work on another project, she bent over his desk and asked whose hand it was.
Douglas mumbled, “It’s yours, Teacher.”
Then Mrs. Klein recalled that she had taken Douglas by the hand from time to time; she often did that with the children. But that it should have meant so much to Douglas …
Perhaps, she reflected, this was her Thanksgiving, and everybody’s Thanksgiving—not the material things given unto us, but the small ways that we give something to others.
Beautiful Day Story
Today I have a short story for you…
A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which read, “I am blind, please help.”
There were only a few coins in the hat – spare change from folks as they hurried past.
A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words.
Then he put the sign back in the boy’s hand so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.
That afternoon, the man who had changed the sign returned to see how things were.
The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?”
The man said, “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.” I wrote, “Today is a beautiful day, but I cannot see it.”
Both signs spoke the truth. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind, while the second sign conveyed to everyone walking by how grateful they should be to see…
Giving Thanks! (A Zen story)
A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains
found a precious stone in a stream. The next day
she met another traveler who was hungry, and the
wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The
hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked
the woman to give it to him. She did so without
hesitation.
The traveler left, rejoicing in his
good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough
to give him security for a lifetime. But a few
days later he came back to return the stone to the
wise woman.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said, “I know how
valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the
hope that you can give me something even more
precious. Give me what you have within you that
enabled you to give me the stone.”
The more difficulties one sees in the world the more perfect one becomes. The more you plough and dig the ground the more fertile it becomes. The more you cut the branches of a tree the higher and stronger it grows. The more you put the gold in the fire the purer it becomes…. That is why, in all times, the Prophets of God have had tribulations and difficulties to withstand. The more often the captain of a ship is in the tempest and difficult sailing the greater his knowledge becomes. Therefore I am happy that you have had great tribulations and difficulties…. Strange it is that I love you and still I am happy that you have sorrows. – ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
For the marvelous graces of Your Creation
We pour out our thanks to You, our God,
for sun and moon and stars,
for rain and dew and winds,
for winter cold and summer heat.
We pour forth our praise to You
for mountains and hills,
for springs and valleys,
for rivers and seas.
We praise You, O Lord,
for plants growing in earth and water,
for life inhabiting lakes and seas,
for life creeping in soils and land,
for creatures living in wetlands and waters,
for life flying above earth and sea,
for beasts dwelling in woods and fields.
How many and wonderful are Your works, our God!
In wisdom you have made them all……
– Earth Prayers, pg. 229
From everyone who has been given much,
Much will be demanded; and rom the one who has
Been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
– Luke 12:48
I recently attended an affair where everyone was gifted wih a “gratitude” stone.
We were asked to carry this stone with us or place it where we would see it frequently to remind ourselves of the many “gifts” we continuously receive for which we could be grateful.
It matters not whether the gifts are large or small, courtesies that are extended to us by those familiar to us or from strangers—it only matters that the gifts are acknowledged with gratitude.
We were challenged to show our gratitude when others were the recipients of some good, to rejoice with them and for them.
As we chose our stones from the circulating basket, the presenter reminded us to not only be grateful for that which we receive, but also to rejoice when others received their good.
Annie Clark, “Our Invisible World
I am grateful for the Love of God that is a part of me.
I am grateful I love and accept myself as an expression of God.
I am grateful for the opportunities in my life.
I feel blessed I can meet the challenges of life and find a solution.
– Bill Anderson, “Our Invisible World”
Dear Eternal Spirit
who gives us Life, Breath, and Love:
we thank You for these gifts.
Help us to be ever-mindful of these gifts,
to bear them in joy and responsibility.
Help us to enter into this life we have been given,
to enter into each moment as a rare treasure,
to listen for the silent music
in the spheres, and in each other.
Help us to accept love as it comes to us,
to see clearly the invisible boundaries,
to rest in the Universal Love of all Creation,
as a small boat can rest
in a placid, endless sea.
so we rest in Thee, Eternal Spirit.
Help us to say “Yes to life,
to answer, “Here Am I,”
to live and breathe words and songs
of this Love we know is shared,
or can be:
Love given and received,
in every breath,
in every word,
in every song,
every day.
Dear Eternal Spirit,
who gives us Life, Breath, and Love:
we thank you for these gifts.
– For Praying out Loud, pg. 115
