Gratitude in Prayers

“No duty is more urgent than of returning thanks.”

We went to Batangas for an overnight stay at Malarayat Golf and Country Club for Christmas. It was one of those only times when I get to spend time with my grandparents and my titas and titos. After all, Christmas was all about keeping Christ strong in us, in our families.

I did try to bond with my grandparents and help them in little things. Things as simple as handing them a plastic cup filled with water or just turning off the television for them. I found that my grandparents were really grateful whenever I did these things.

“Thank you, anak,” would always be their response. It was actually refreshing and very personal. I love how they still express their gratitude even though the things I did were almost too little to notice. 

Christmas Eve came and I got to hear more about the things they were grateful for. As we were praying we came to this part where we enumerate the things we were most thankful for during the year 2014. I thanked God for the usual things, food, clothing, and other things like that. But when it was grandma and grandpa’s turn, they said things that really touched my heart. They were thankful about the safety of the family, how we were all there together celebrating Christmas, they were thankful for their health, their friends, and their loved ones. As they were saying these things, I began to realize that these are the things worth thanking God for.

That’s when I learned that even the little things were actually the big things. We might be taking for granted what we have now and we may forget what they really are worth. But if we take the time to actually enumerate and list down the things we are thankful for, the list might surprise us. It might even remind us how blessed we are.

“Not all happy people are thankful, but all thankful people are happy.”