Gratitude Remembered

Gratitude Remembered

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.

Galatians 6:7

My mom is a woman of gratitude. No matter what small gift you give or act of kindness you do for her, she immediately sits down and writes a thank-you note or calls you on the phone to say thank you. Maybe she goes a little overboard, because she even writes thank-you notes for greeting cards she receives, but better too much gratitude than not enough, right?

Another example of gratitude is a story about a hunter who came across a huge elephant that was limping. The hunter followed the elephant for quite some time until, unable to walk any farther, it finally stopped and lay down.

Throwing caution to the wind, the hunter gingerly examined the elephant’s feet. In one he found a large thorn, obviously the cause of the limp he had observed. He carefully removed the thorn, and the elephant got up and walked away, looking back at the hunter as he left.

Years passed, and one day the hunter was sitting in a cheap seat at the circus. Eventually the elephant troupe entered the arena. During one of the turns, a huge elephant reached out with its trunk, encircled the hunter’s waist, lifted him from his cheap seat, and carefully set him down in a seat in a private box. After the hunter recovered from his surprise, he realized it was the same elephant he had helped in the jungle.

“An elephant never forgets” is an attribute we could all stand to emulate, especially when it comes to remembering others’ kindness and showing gratitude for someone else’s care.

I am so grateful, Lord, for your constant care and kindness to me, and I thank you for always being there for me when I need help. I love you, Lord. Amen.