I ran across this quote today by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who says,
"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."
The message is easy; we all know we should be grateful. The hard part is training our brains (and those of others) to associate "richness" with giving instead of receiving. Have any of you ever tried to explain to your kids that writing thank you notes is the most important part of their birthday or that giving Christmas gifts to others is more special than receiving their own? Yeah, we have all tried it....and what do we get in return? Blank stares? Whining? Resistance of some kind or another, I would wager. Our human nature in "ordinary life" (as Bonhoeffer calls it), associates richness/happiness/fulfillment with receiving material goods, praise, status, etc... What would it take for us to shift our thinking in a dramatic way so that Bonhoeffer's quote doesn't just sound good, but actually feels all comfy and at home in our genuinely grateful hearts??? I bet the Joplin tornado victims and volunteers could help us here. They might have a story or two (or three hundred) about how their ordinary life exists no longer, and what remains is a rich life, full-to-the-brim with gratitude. Immediately after the tornado, waves of volunteers came out of nowhere, handing out barbecue sandwiches, sorting through debris, helping in countless ways. Groups from Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church (my parish) have gone twice to help in Joplin (see article), witnessing first-hand not only the devastation but the renewed hope in those who have lost everything. To the above right is a picture of the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Joplin. Thankfully, their parish priest survived the destruction but they will need to rebuild their church, starting from scratch. We can't all physically travel to Joplin, but we can each do something of value to help, especially pray for the health and strength of those who survived. The Salsa Mama sale from June and July 2011 will support the Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri, who has already helped thousands of individuals and will play a large role in rebuilding St.Mary's.
As always, thank YOU for support of the various charities throughout the year!