December 22: Day 175

STONE TWELVE CONTINUED
 
Thank: I am grateful. Gratitude helps me bring out the positive in my life and also makes room for The Divine to bring additional positive situations, people, and spiritual experiences into my life. I thank those who have guided me on my path.
 
Instruction: Open to The Divine.

By saying that gratitude helps us open to The Divine, we want to state that we’re not talking about a Higher Power who is swayed by how much we appreciate what we think He or She does for us. The Divine doesn’t provide extra help to us simply because we express more gratefulness than someone else. There is nothing wrong with expressing our gratitude, but if we think it places us in better standing than someone who is less grateful, then we have placed human characteristics and limitations on our concept of the Creator. Perfect Love, loves perfectly. Perfect Love shows no favoritism among Its children. What gratitude does, however, is to open our awareness of the wonder and all-encompassing love of that which is greater than self. When we say that gratitude allows The Divine to bring additional positive situations, people, and spiritual experiences into our lives, it is more a matter of the change that happens in our awareness and not because The Divine rewards us.

Gratefulness opens our eyes and allows us to see things that we might have missed before. Connections are made that can allow spiritual growth because our gratitude affects the way we interpret and understand our place in life. We also understand that we have the potential to help heal the world by connecting with those who share our vision. Many people have come to understand the power of gratitude, and many have started and maintained a gratitude journal. Life is better, friends are plenteous, and heartaches fewer when we see life with grateful hearts. As we thank our Higher Power, we are able to understand fully that we are loved, cared for, and worthy. For those who believe in a strict, vengeful, fear-based divine being, gratitude allows us to comprehend that some of those perceptions might be faulty. Our fears might even be lessened when we realize our world has been given to us for our joy and pleasure. What we make of that world, and the way we show our appreciation, determines to a large degree our sense of happiness, meaning, and worthiness.

Some individuals who started from horrendous beginnings may need to be prepared for the transition to happen in stages. As gratitude brings more positive relationships into your life, some of the less positive relationships from your past may try to keep you where you were, and familiarity may allow you to let in some people who are more like those from your past. Don’t give up. Accept the growing number of positive relationships as your measure of success and keep going until you get there one hundred percent.

Today’s Assignment is to open your heart and mind to The Divine appointments in your life. As you grow spiritually, you will meet more teachers who will display love, light, kindness, and gentleness. Welcome these individuals and determine that you will strive to embrace their good qualities. Be grateful for their influence and your progress.