Gratitude
This Thanksgiving, I am saying a prayer of gratitude for all who have crossed my path at the Lewisville Community Center. I am humbled to be with you, as we seek inner peace and harmony together, even if only for one class. Wishing you a bountiful Thanksgiving week.
Our modest luncheon under the walnut tree in the yard finished with a short blessing and a few songs. The Master looked around at us, smiled, and said:
Everything, which has been given to us, I have been paying for in an invisible way. When I receive a banitsa*, I look at it to see what it is made of. It is made of flour, and so I connect with the one who planted and reaped the wheat. I bless this person’s labor and continue. I find the sheep from whose milk the cheese was made and I thank it as well. I find the cow that gave the milk for the butter and thank it as well. Lastly I thank the person who made the banitsa.
When we are thankful, we maintain and protect our inner connection with God. All our desires will then be fulfilled.
What is the difference between the worldly life and the spiritual? When someone eats and is not thankful, he does not realize that everything is provided by God—he is in the worldly life. Yet when he eats and gives thanks to God, he is in the spiritual life. This is true for all other blessings as well.
When God takes part in your work, you are in the spiritual life. As soon as God does not participate in your affairs, this is the worldly life.
Be thankful to God even when you meet with difficulties in your life. You should always be content. This is only one moment—it could be only a second or a minute. Be content in this moment. You are sorrowful because of some difficulty or burden. This might stay only for a minute and then will go away.
Contentment and gratitude do not imply resignation. If you are ill, make an effort to alleviate your illness; yet be content and thankful in every moment of it. When one receives something, one should always thank God. In this way, he will be giving something of himself as well.
When you receive and you do not give thanks, you will not benefit from the bounties of Life.
Let’s say, you love someone. Be thankful to God for manifesting Himself in your beloved. Love does not belong to the person you love. Be thankful to Love. Gratitude is expressed by sharing part of what you have received with others.
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from THE WELLSPRING OF GOOD, BEINSA DOUNO
* Banitsa is a traditional Bulgarian pastry of filo, eggs and feta