"Take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children’s children.” Dn 4:9
Busy about so many things, we often forget to pause during the day to thank God for his mercy and kindness. Indeed, even though our eyes have seen so much good and we have lived in the midst of such a marvelous natural world, we often take it for granted.
A few years ago, for more than a month I was nauseous. Even the smell of food made me uncomfortable, and I remember asking God to help me not to obsess about how I felt, but to enjoy the delights of each day as it unfolded. However, like the Jews in the desert, I was more concerned with my own health and happiness than announcing God's fidelity in freeing me from bondage, and changing was very difficult. Letting go completely and asking God to let me proclaim Good News no matter how I felt was the only prayer that felt authentic.
The book of Deuteronomy teaches the same lesson. No matter how we feel, "in sickness and in health," we must be Good News and teach our children about God's fidelity and protection in every circumstance of life so that every generation might praise God daily with prayers of thanksgiving.
Today, think of something you take for granted and dwell on it with gratitude.
What daily gift do you treasure the most?
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