The Blessing of Gratitude


Our hearts are wiser than we know,  They harbor a great secret, capable of blessing us every moment of every day.  The secret is simple, yet profound.  It borders on the miraculous, yet is available to all.  The secret is to keep ourselves open and available to Spirit and the good that ever flows from Spirit.  In order to keep our hearts open and available to Spirit we need to make sure we have nothing lodged in them that will hamper our ability to receive the good Spirit intends.  Mostly, we need to keep them free of negative thoughts, feelings, emotions and happenings, even when life seems to be testing us to the limit.  I realize this is a tall order, that it is hard not to sink into negative states when life disappoints us or deals us a low blow.  But even at the worst of times we can choose to focus on the good things in our lives, appreciating them till our hearts fill with the warmth of our appreciation.  And it is wise that we do; for the grateful heart is an open heart and an open heart is ripe to receive the blessings flowing its way.  When our hearts are closed, when we’ve allowed them to constrict through sorrow, suffering, anguish or pain, anger, animosity, resentment, criticality or hatred, it is hard for the gifts flowing from Spirit to make their way into our lives.  It is good to keep this in mind when it seems as if life is being hard on us or unfair, understanding it could very well be that it is we who are being unkind and unfair to ourselves, denying ourselves the very things our hearts desperately yearn for.  The good news is, we can change this in a millisecond by changing the way we look at life, seeing the good in it and appreciating this good until our hearts are so filled with gratitude they expand, making room for the countless blessings pouring in on us from On High.


If you don’t believe this, try it.  Try ridding yourselves of all the negativity resounding through your minds, hearts, psyches and bodies.  Try kicking it out and replacing it with all that is positive and good.  Try noticing and appreciating the good you already have, paying more attention to it than the things that disturb or anger or upset you.  There are always good things to find, regardless of how you would rate them on the scale of importance.  Try holding these good things in the forefront of your attention, focusing on them throughout your day, realizing what they are bringing to your lives.  Instead of taking them for granted, truly appreciate them, give thanks for them, letting waves of gratitude flow through your entire being.  Negative habits can be hard to break, to be sure.  But you will be well served to break them, supplanting them with new constructive habits that include brighter thoughts, feelings, emotions and behaviors.  Positivity and true gratitude are two of the most powerful tools we have for bringing blessings into our lives.  You might say they prepare the soil for blessings to grow in, feeding their roots till they are strong enough to send shoots of goodness to the surface of our lives, where we can see and admire and appreciate them.  Appreciation being the key to inviting more and more goodness to the surface. 


The grateful heart is a warm heart, an ever expanding open exalted heart, able to receive the gifts of Spirit flowing from On High.  This heart is intrinsically yours.  It lives within you, impelling you to discover it and the blessed lives you are meant to live.  Why would you not wish to experience this blessing?  Why would you not do everything in your power to open your hearts to the goodness raining down upon you?  Why would you not wish to claim the fruits of the Spirit as your own, acknowledging the divine Source bringing them to you?  Why would you not wish to lift up your hearts and shower this heavenly Source with praise and thanksgiving?  We don’t have to be caught in the cage of our miseries.  We have a “get of of jail free” pass tucked away inside us.  We only have to use it, and there is no better time to start than right now.  Let this moment  be the moment of your deliverance from whatever miseries have befallen you.  Look at your lives in a positive way.  Open your hearts. Expect the best.  Invite in the sunshine and let it warm you through and through.  Don’t just want to be blessed.  Be blessed.  It is your divine right.  Cast out all your negative feelings, all the feelings of helplessness, sadness, frustration or fear.  None of them truly belong to you.  Your hearts will verify this if you give them a chance, quieting down enough to hear what they have to say.  They will speak to your intuitive ears, unravelling the mystery of how blessings are brought into your lives.  


So please do everything in your power to open your hearts.  Toss out the negativity closing them and blocking the good that is meant for you.  Turn away from its allure and focus on the good you already have.  Appreciate every bit of this good, giving thanks to the heavenly Spirit bringing it to you.  We have so much to be grateful for, so much that is worthy of our attention and acknowledgment.  Let us fill our hearts with this knowledge, encouraging them to swell with gratitude, so much gratitude it overflows into the world, blessing all it touches.  Let us be this gift to the world, a gift that encourages every heart to smile. 


This and other healing flows by Marya Brunson can be found on the Lotus Blossom Books website: lotusblossombooks.com



       

                                                          

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