THE GRATEFUL HEART SPEECH

A Blog Post

Ugonna Sylvester-ogan's Blog

Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. For God is sheer beauty, all generous in love, loyal always and ever – Psalm 100: 4-5

I read an article that says that being grateful is about appreciating what one has, as opposed to what one wants. Being thankful or thanking someone often implies you are acknowledging your thanks for something that someone has given you.

A long time ago, when my younger sister was about eight or nine years old, she walked up to my dad who was resting from the day’s work and said, “Daddy, I want to tell you something.” My dad must have thought she was about to make one of the usual demands to buy one thing or the other (having nine kids must have been very demanding for him), but to his amazement she said, “Daddy I want to thank you for being my daddy because I have seen some other kids who are not feeding as well as I am. I feed so well, and I never lack anything just because you are my daddy.” 

My daddy was filled with such joy that he came to share what my sister (his eighth child) had just said to him. He said he had never heard any one of us express gratitude to him that way. That day, he told that sister of mine to make list of whatever food/snacks she needed as he would be ready to buy whatever she needs at any point in time. In fact, there was a day he came back with a gift for her alone. As I watched my father hand over that package to her that day, I learnt a big lesson. 

I can imagine how happy he was to have heard his daughter articulate her gratitude with such thoughtfulness and sincerity. Even though it was every father’s responsibility to provide food for his family, but my younger sister appreciated the fact that not every father could meet that obligation of providing for their kids. A grateful heart is when we notice and are grateful for the tiny bits of things that people do for us, which most often, they don’t even consider a big deal until we begin to thank them for it. Such unexpected and unsolicited expressions of gratitude then becomes a grateful heart speech.

Since that incident, it became easier for the rest of us to tender our requests to my dad through my younger sister than to make personal requests to him. He would gladly oblige her things or privileges he would deny the rest of us. All of this came as a result of a young girl’s heartfelt expression of gratitude to her father. 

How much more will God do for us if only we can be grateful for the little, big and unnoticed things that He has been doing for us. In the midst of overwhelming challenges, there is a tendency for us to be more focused on the things we need God to do or fix for us, which makes us to forget all that He has done and is doing for us. Sometimes, we even get disappointed and depressed over the unanswered prayers. It is important that we maintain a feeling of gratitude if we want more of God’s blessings in our lives. Gratitude has to be deliberate and consistent. A good way to achieve this is to keep a gratitude journal.

In 2017, I had a great testimony in my life that made me realize the unseen battles that God had won for me which no one would have noticed. That testimony triggered my thanksgiving journal. I began to write out each and everything I could be grateful to God for, especially the seemingly little and hardly noticeable blessings. I wrote down every blessing I could think of, big or small and appreciated God for them. Amazingly, I now have a list of over two hundred and forty things God has done for me from 2017 till date. And, I’m sure there are some I must have forgotten to write. I bet if I was to write all that God has done for me right from my mother’s womb, by now, I would have exhausted over 1 million thanksgiving journals.

Whenever I get overwhelmed by unanswered prayers that I needed answered desperately, the Holy Spirit will prompt me to open my thanksgiving journal. For me, it is not enough to just open it and flip through the pages, I take time to read it and thank God for each and everything on my list all over again. I am often amazed at how suddenly joy wells up in my heart just by reviewing my testimonies. If I didn’t write them down, I wonder how I would remember all that God has been doing.  It is not enough to be grateful for things God did, you should say them and express them all out to God with all your heart. That’s what I call a “Grateful Heart Speech.”

WHEN WE THANK GOD FOR WHAT HE HAS BEEN DOING FOR US, HE WILL DO MUCH MORE SO THAT WE CAN THANK HIM MORE.

Dr.Emmons and his colleagues found scientific proof that people who practice gratitude through activities such as keeping a gratitude journal are more loving, forgiving, optimistic about the future, report fewer illnesses, and generally feel better about their lives. 

Most times, we say thank you and don’t place value on it. We just pay lip service to it to show courtesy like we often do when a person opens a door for us or served us a cup of tea for instance. This kind of “thanks” is automated. Let your “thank you” come from deep meditative thinking. You can also intentionally write down those lovely things people have done for you from a heart full of gratitude.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, and confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend...Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow - RAY L. HUNTINGTON

In spite of those lingering challenges – it could be with your child, your career, your marriage, your health…whatever it may be – I urge you to open up a gratitude journal and start writing down all your blessings. You will be amazed at how much you need to thank God for. As you read through your gratitude list, your faith in God will soar and you will be able to trust Him more for the miracle you’re expecting. Remember, there are blessings you received that you never prayed for.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged , thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings name them one by one, 

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. 

Count your blessings, name them one by one; 

Count your blessings, see what God hath done; 

Count your blessings, name them one by one, 

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Is a good feeling to sing through this song, thanks to the song writer. 

Let’s all speak out that grateful heart.