SUNDAY EDITORIAL

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ― Colossians 3:16 NIV

When something doesn’t go my way or come down the pike the way I want it to, I tend to gripe. It can be any number of things that irritate me—delayed flights, being put on hold, or having to wait in line. Traffic jams. Interruptions. People who don’t keep their word. You name it! (You have your own list, don’t you?)

At times like these when I’m tempted to gripe, I have to start talking to myself. And when I come to my senses, this is what I say: “Luci, if you can’t be content in this moment of inconvenience, be content that it’s not worse. Shut up and count your blessings.”

But there are times I can’t pull myself out of that morass until I start with a grateful heart. Our constant attitude should be gratitude. But it seems to be the rarest of virtues. God has given us thousands of reasons to celebrate life every day, even in the worst of times, if we just open our eyes, live in the moment, take in the beauty, and see the possibilities. It’s been said, “The worst moment for the atheist is when he feels grateful and has no one to thank.”

— Luci Swindoll