Surprised by Joy, Rooted In Gratitude

“Our humanity comes to its fullest bloom in giving. We become beautiful people when we give whatever we can give: a smile, a handshake, a kiss, an embrace, a word of love, a present, a part of our life…all of our life.”― Henri J.M. Nouwen, Life of the Beloved

“Gratitude goes beyond the ‘mine’ and ‘thine’ and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift. In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy.”― Henri J.M. Nouwen

How we think about things either adds weight or lightens the load
Gardener of grace
Discipline of gratitude
Surprised by joy
Bloom of generosity
Fresh water washing over ordinary, beautiful days
Awaken to delight woven in this day
Plant seeds, tend the field, harvest the bounty.

“Be surprised by joy, be surprised by the little flower that shows its beauty in the midst of a barren desert, and be surprised by the immense healing power that keeps bursting forth like springs of fresh water from the depth of our pain.”― Henri Nouwen