THANKFUL THOUGHTS

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”
—Philippians 4:4

Years ago, I was a huge fan of Oprah Winfrey. I stayed up late at night just to watch her talk show and tucked nuggets of wisdom with me as I went to bed. One of the lessons I learned from Oprah’s program was keeping a Thank You journal. My diary has since transformed from a record of angst, pessimism and complaints into a list of gratitude, blessings and graces.

At first, it was a challenge to hit the target of at least five things to be thankful for. It was especially hard on a bad day with quarrels at home or misunderstanding with friends or getting trapped with the grouchy supervisor at the office. But the practice of recalling the day’s good events rather than focusing on the bad eventually became second nature.

Surprisingly, the spirit of joy and optimism sprang with the thankful thoughts. My gratitude antenna’s reception grew stronger each day. The positive aspects of people got more pronounced rather than the quirks, sticky situations turned into blessings in disguise, even the routinary jeepney rides became sight-seeing trips. Somehow, counting the reasons to thank the Lord made life lighter and it was easier to find a reason to smile.

I realized that the secret of joy and happiness lay in the simple things: watching a daddy tagging along his little tot at the mall, a group of teenagers having a hearty laugh, the usually rough jeepney driver trying to be polite with the passengers, a guy offering his seat to a pregnant woman in an MRT train, a troubled friend managing to be more concerned about you than his problems, a dedicated and hard-working officemate. Such gestures and characters give a sneak preview of the Lord’s gentleness, love and creativity.

Just yesterday, it was such a bliss passing by the quiet, tree-lined Plant Industry Street. I love the peace and quiet of the place. It seems to hold new surprises as I walk in that neighbourhood to work everyday and ask the Lord to make me feel His presence. I have yet to develop the art of listening to God’s voice but on second thoughts, He actually communicates with me in a different manner. He knows I’m a visual person and He gives me joy by opening my eyes to his beautiful creations: the forested area made magical by the sun’s rays seeping through the canopy of trees, a litter of native puppies peeping curiously from behind a half-opened gate, one of them having the courage to trail behind me, a furry white canine wagging his tail and trying to be friendly then barking furiously to put a brave front as a guard dog.

Coming home from work, I find my mother-in-law enjoying the tabloid puzzles before dozing off, our househelps’ warm welcoming smiles and the long chat and giggles with my husband before snuggling up to dreamland. Truly, life is a bundle of blessings especially when we downplay the dark side and choose to see the beauty around us. Have a happy day always. 