As a child every time we complained because our friends had the latest nice toys on the market and we didn’t, my parents always used to utter the same old words, “You should be grateful for what you have”. We knew these words so well but never realized what they really meant.

I only realized the impact of these words as a young adult. I always used to look for love and acceptance in the wrong places. I thought that if I give in to peer pressure I will be popular and successful. I was popular, had a lot of wrong friends and couldn’t accelerate in my work. I blamed life for my insecurities and all bad things that came my way. Everything was always someone else’s fault except my own, and that is how I went thought life until I was forced to re-evaluate my life one day.

I was in an almost fatal motor vehicle accident. It was on a hot Sunday morning in 2000. I promised my sister that I would take her to an international cricket match. I collected her, went to the cricket and then dropped her off afterwards. We spent the entire time in the blazing sun and by the afternoon I had a slight headache. On my way home from the cricket I had a black out while driving. When I came by my car was running in a ditch, I had such a fright that I pulled my steering wheel and rolled the car. I saw my empty life flashing past me and then realized: I was not ready to die. I closed my eyes and promised God that if he gave me a second chance I will live my life for him. He saved me.

A week after I was discharged from hospital, resigned from my job, and became a teacher. My pupils always used to ask why I became a teacher. I always replied “because I am grateful”.

I started to live my life in gratitude. I was grateful for being alive.

I no longer took it for granted that I was a live. Everyday was a gift from God, and as I started to acknowledge God as the giver of great things in my life things started to come my way in abundance.

Gratitude changes our lives it is no longer about what I can receive, but what I can give to others. The more I give to others the more God gives to me.

We read in Genesis that God creates everything perfectly. He never wished anything bad upon us. That we chose that ourselves when Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, but despite these sins God gave us the greatest sacrifice of all times. He gave us his only Son to die for the sins of the world.

What more reason do we need to be grateful?

I want to end today with the words from “The Secret”.

“Nothing new will come into your life, unless you are GRATEFUL for the things you already have.”

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