
Feeling grateful and not expressing it is just like winking at a beautiful lady in a dark hall, that subtle display of affection will not attract her attention. Every cheerful giver is spurred to do more by a grateful receiver.
However, our motive for showing gratitude should not be because we want more but because we want to be intentional about our positive attitude towards what we have received.

We sometimes feel stressed and depressed because we take for granted what we should show deep sense of gratitude for.
I would maintain that a thankful man is a thoughtful man and gratitude shows the magnitude of a man’s attitude. It takes a grateful heart to see the big blessing behind a small gift.
One of the greatest gifts of life that we take for granted is our ability to freely breathe. Statistics shows that an adult weighing about 70kg makes 17, 820 breaths in a day and by implication inhale about 8640 litres of air per day.
Have you thanked God for that? It takes gratitude to open our eyes to unseen blessings, treasures that cannot be touched and favours that can only be felt.

We may find ourselves in sour situations where the breath of life seems worthless but have we ever wondered that if God could keep us breathing even in the storm, He is also able to make us survive the storm without scars?
God is kind and merciful but He wants us to show appreciation before we put forward application for more benefits. It is interesting to know that each day has already been loaded with benefits, our prayer will not push
God to produce what we desire, it only help us take delivery of what we have prayed for especially when we praise God for previous blessings.

Gratitude shows the gravity of grace in a man’s attitude but ingratitude shows the intensity of a man’s ignominy. Suffice to say here that appreciation requires appropriate attitude for it to be acceptable.
Gratitude is a golden currency in the kingdom of kindness, it is a legal tender that makes an application for more allocation to get favourable consideration.

A lot of people keep demanding for more benefit when they do not deserve it. James Allen wrote “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks”.
Ingratitude is worse than armed robbery, nothing is more dishonourable than despising the smallest of gifts from a cheerful giver. A good gift lifts the heart before it leaves the hands of the giver.
Appreciation may not compare to the effort of giving but it will complement kindness. Gratitude is not payment for kindness, it should not be expected but should be expressed.
Inability to show gratitude does not reduce the reward of the giver, it only reduces the right of the receiver to more benefits.

Paulo Coelho wrote “Every blessing ignored becomes a curse”. One of the ways to show gratitude is being a blessing to others, kindness is like a baton in a relay race, you don’t win by keeping it to yourself.
A cheerful giver does not always expect gratitude but a cheerful receiver should always express gratitude. Gratitude is an excellent emotion that compliments the passion in compassion. Grateful hearts get plentiful harvest. The magnitude of our gratitude shows the pure pulchritude of our attitude. Be grateful!

-Adeleke Adeite