'Living with a grateful heart' – Offaly columnist writes from the edge of hope

I WRITE this "Thought for the Week" from east Africa, where I am visiting communities particularly in Uganda and Sudan after visiting Kenya and Ethiopia earlier in the year. Here, among people living in extreme poverty, displacement, and the aftermath of wars and climate shocks, gratitude is not a holiday, it is a lifeline, a daily choice, a quiet act of courage. At the same time, many around the world are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving, a day devoted to giving thanks for life, family, and blessings.

Whether we celebrate with feasts, prayer, or quiet reflection, Thanksgiving is a reminder to pause and acknowledge the gifts that surround us, often overlooked in our busy lives. As Robert Louis Stevenson wrote: “The person who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life.” And indeed, too often, we are asleep, failing to notice the sacred in the ordinary, the divine in the everyday.

Counting blessings in a busy world

What are you thankful for? Better yet, in what ways has God blessed you in abundance? If the answer does not come immediately, perhaps it is a sign to slow down and count your blessings. Amid lives packed with constant demands and noise, it’s important to occasionally step outside the rush of clock-time.

Moments of stillness and silence help us reconnect with ourselves, offering clarity and a deeper sense of peace. By intentionally creating these quiet spaces, we stay attuned to the seasons of our heart instead of being carried away by deadlines and distractions. And in these pauses, we can also cultivate gratitude and thanksgiving and appreciate the simple, grounding moments that remind us of what truly matters.

This is more than a ritual, it is an awakening. Because the more we see and name the gifts God has bestowed upon us, the more our hearts expand, and the more joy we receive in return. “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!” (Psalm 100:4). Gratitude is not just a feeling; it is a practice. It is a discipline that transforms our experience of ourselves, our lives, and our world. Without it, we risk becoming self-involved, believing we are solely responsible for all that we have, forgetting that every breath, every blessing, is a gift from God.

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The blessings hidden in plain aight

I remember my first-year teacher, Mrs. Carroll, asking our class to write an essay on what we were thankful for. I stared at the blank page. I could not think of a thing. Surrounded by gifts, I did not recognize them as such, I took them for granted. I assumed everyone had food, clothing, family, and shelter. Only later did I realize these were extraordinary blessings. Walking through communities in East Africa, I see gratitude in its purest form. A mother sharing a small portion of food with her neighbor. A child laughing despite hunger. Communities celebrating life in the simplest, yet most profound ways. Gratitude is amplified when life is fragile. It is a reminder that every moment, every person, every small kindness is a gift. “Every good and perfect gift is from above." (James 1:17.)

Giving and receiving

There is a profound truth, in giving, we receive. A father shares his last meal in Uganda. A woman gives handmade goods to children in Ethiopia. In Sudan, families welcome strangers to their tables. Gratitude and generosity are inseparable, creating ripples of hope and love that extend far beyond what we can see. “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” (Psalm 28:7.) This time of the year where many around our world celebrate 'Thanksgiving', let us cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Notice ordinary miracles around you such as the sky, the trees, the laughter of children. Give thanks daily, silently, aloud, in prayer, and in action. See challenges as opportunities to grow and learn. Recognize the gifts of others and express appreciation. Share what you have, even if it seems small. Gratitude opens the heart, nourishes the soul, and transforms ordinary life into extraordinary encounters with God’s goodness.

The blind boy: A lesson in perspective

A story comes to mind. A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat at his feet. His sign read: “I am blind, please help.” Only a few coins were in the hat. A man passing by rewrote the sign: “Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it.” That afternoon, the boy’s hat was full. The message is clear. Both signs were true. Yet the second invited reflection, gratitude, and perspective. Sometimes, it is not the circumstance itself that shapes our hearts, but how we see it. Gratitude transforms perception, turning scarcity into sufficiency, despair into hope.

A deeper gratitude

Albert Einstein once said: “There are only two ways to live your life: as though nothing is a miracle, or as though everything is.” Over the past weeks, as I travel through East Africa, I have been reflecting deeply on this. Great power comes into our lives when we choose to live with thankfulness and gratitude. Gratitude is noticing simple pleasures, counting our blessings, and acknowledging all we receive. It shifts our focus from what our life lacks to the abundance already present. Thanksgiving, celebrated in some parts of the world, is a reminder to cultivate this perspective. Yet gratitude is not just for a day, it is for every moment. It is a mindset that strengthens relationships, improves health, reduces stress, and spreads joy.

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Gratitude in action

It is not enough to feel gratitude, we must express it. Saying “thank you” to God, to others, and even to ourselves, creates an exchange of blessings. Gratitude is visible in acts of kindness, in listening, in helping, and in celebrating the gifts others bring to our lives. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Every person we meet offers a gift, sometimes through love, sometimes guidance, sometimes patience. How often do we pause to acknowledge them? Thanksgiving teaches us that giving thanks is itself a gift, creating a ripple of joy, hope, and human connection.

Seeing the world through grateful eyes

In our culture, we are often encouraged to want more. Advertising, social media, and comparison tempt us to believe we are never enough. Gratitude challenges this. It calls us to pause, to notice, to treasure what is already ours. Those who live in gratitude daily have a way of seeing the world with fresh eyes: the blue of the sky, the color of the leaves, the white of the clouds, the fragrance of flowers, the laughter of children. Even amidst hardship, there is beauty. Even in scarcity, there is abundance. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts… And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15.)

A Thought for the Week

As your thought for the week and as we approach Thanksgiving, let us embrace gratitude in every corner of our lives: Be thankful for what you have. Love boldly and give generously. Face the past without regret, the present with courage, and the future with hope. Notice and thank those who enrich your life. Gratitude turns ordinary moments into miracles. It opens our eyes to life itself as a gift. It reminds us that every person we meet is part of the tapestry of our journey. Let me leave you with one of my prayers of Gratitude - "Lord, I thank You for life, love, family, friends, colleagues and all the blessings that surround me. Help me see Your presence in every moment, especially in difficulty. Grant me eyes to notice Your gifts, a heart to receive them, and hands to share them. Thank You for joy, for sorrow that teaches, for relationships that challenge and support. Teach me to live with gratitude, not just today, but in every breath, word, deed and action. May I carry Your love into the world, multiplying blessings wherever I go. Amen."