Remember....

Yesterday in Church, one of my dearest friends (the one who inspired me years ago to start a gratitude journal) spoke about gratitude and added "remember".  Remember Who it is that has made all of your blessings possible, those who have done kind things for you, and remember to thank Him and acknowledge those that have added to your life in even the smallest of ways.

I looked up the word, remember, in the dictionary: to recall to the mind by an act or effort of memory; think of again.   To retain in the memory; keep in mind; remain aware of.   To have something come into the mind again; I just remembered that it's your birthday.  To bear a person in mind as deserving a gift, reward, or fee.  To give a tip, donation, or gift to: to remember the needy.  Then there were words synonomous with remember:  keep in mind, bear in mind, call to mind, commemorate, flash on, have memories, hold dear, keep forever, look back, recognize, etc..... ( The opposite of remembering is to disregard and how is that paying tribute or giving thanks?)

Each day as I have been recording my gratitude list (I've only missed a few lately) I have written down things that I've noticed throughout the day that I'm grateful for.  I haven't consciously thought of my list as "remembering how God has blessed me or my family", but that is an essential part of my gratitude. 

This is the season of gratitude with Thanksgiving upon us and Christmas not too far behind; I am seeing daily gratitude lists on facebook (and I appreciate the reminders).   We thank God for our blessings, for daily miracles in our lives, for the little things that mean the most; however, what are we doing to repay him for those things?  And then there are those around us and even those we don't know that give of themselves in our service; do we thank them?  It's not only enough that I write a gratitude list in a book each evening; I am to be more mindful in remembering and in acting to "give thanks".  

This is also the season of giving; it's our way of showing that we have been blessed and would like to pay it forward or to share with others of our blessings.  Our giving doesn't have to be monetary; we can also give of our time and our talents. 

Last night as I recorded my gratitudes for the day I did make an effort to remember how God had blessed me that day; it makes the gratitudes a little more meaningful.  May we all see many things to be grateful for this time of the year and remember where they all come from.