And now, for something not at all political. That’s kind of a blessing, right?

Maybe the Thanksgiving spirit is coming to me early this year, but I’ve been thinking about the importance of gratitude. The Roman orator Cicero famously said that gratitude is the mother of all other virtues.

For more than thirty years, I’ve had the privilege of providing counseling to people, pastoring, teaching and interacting with individuals in every conceivable life situation. I’ve repeatedly observed that the “gratitude quotient” present (or absent) in an individual shapes their journey immeasurably. If we realized the wonderfully significant difference it makes to look at life from a consistently grateful perspective, I am convinced more people would be intentional about “counting their blessings.”

But I’m not encouraging the cultivation of gratitude just for pragmatic reasons, not merely because you might benefit from it (though I know you will). I’m saying that we need to express gratitude to God, our Maker, because it is the right thing to do. There is a certain satisfaction in the soul when we know we’re doing the right things. And it is good to be grateful.

So, let me say it: Each day we’re alive is a gift.

I’ll bet your grandmother told you that. Maybe you read it off a refrigerator magnet, or you were told it in childhood Sunday school. But these are profound truths worth ruminating on and reminding........

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