Thanksgiving is almost upon us. There is a distinct chill in the autumn air and one can detect the faint scent of snow. As another holiday season commences, I have been contemplating gratitude.  The act or perhaps the art of being or becoming grateful.

Where does this word, ‘gratitude,’ come from? Its origin may be late middle English or old French or even medieval Latin. From the Latin we have ‘pleasing, thankful.’ Medieval Latin also lends us ‘gratitudin’ which is the equivalent to ‘grat’ (us). The old French offers us ‘good will’ and middle English provides us with the ‘feeling of being grateful.’ Gratitude also rhymes with attitude which I am certain is no coincidence.

William Arthur Ward said of ‘gratitude’:

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”

As I look back over the last year my heart smiles at so many blessings.  My continued health, a husband who loves and supports me in so many incredible ways, children who are growing and learning about life, dogs who pepper my days with warm, unearned affection, and family and friends who paint beautiful colors on my life with wide, generous brushstrokes.  A God who takes my every care, each layer of anxiety, and wraps it in Himself. Life can throw some real curveballs. Family members and friends die, people get sick, a mere phone call can change one’s trajectory. It’s so pleasing, so gratifying to know that The One who is in control is just that- in control. I am not God.

When I land on my past diagnosis of breast cancer, I am incredulous. I made it through. My treatment ended, my scars healed, my spirit was restored. I also feel immeasurable gratitude for the miracles that God has wrought through medical science. Surgeons who are divinely gifted, medications that target cancer’s ugly head, nurses who offer kindness, and research that continues to delve deeper into the abyss of illness.

And while I never thought I’d say this, I must acknowledge this truth. I am grateful for breast cancer. It has offered a tutorial in ‘gratitude’ like no other. Breast cancer teaches you how to be present- really present in the moment. It points to the joy- the warm contentment- that small, seemingly simple things bring.  The scent of rain on a crisp autumn day, the taste of our favorite food, the sound of a loved one’s voice. The deep bond among survivors, the bliss of a long hot shower as you lift your arms to Heaven. The utter dependence on a merciful God, the releasing of control that was never really ours to begin with, and the trust in the hope of a Risen Savior.

Yes, ‘gratitude’…  Three simple syllables packed with so much meaning, such purpose. So this Thanksgiving, look around you- you’ll find it. It’s waiting there in the shadows ready to be brought out into the Light. Gratitude- our teacher, our friend.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His Love endures forever.”

-1 Chronicles 16:34