10 Days of Gratitude: Day 10 - By SharRon Jamison

Gratitude is a verb; it is an action word!

By SharRon Jamison

I am grateful and I thank God that I don’t look like what I have been through. I have suffered physical abuse that crushed my ribs and endured verbal abuse that crushed my spirit. I have experienced plenty, and God knows that I have also experienced lack. I have experienced good health and I have also experienced sickness and debilitating depression. I have experienced just a little joy, not much, and I have experienced great despair. Most of my life and sometimes even now, I feel alone, misunderstood, isolated and disconnected in ways that often scare me. But through it all and most of all, I am grateful!!  I have gratitude!

To me true gratitude is a verb; it is an action word. It is sense of thankfulness that spurs me to perform, work, behave and conduct myself in ways that tells God “thank you, much obliged”. It is a sense of appreciation that motivates me TO BE, TO HAVE and TO DO. And many times, it is gratitude that gives me the confidence to act fearlessly, boldly, inclusively, consistently and lovingly.  Why? Because gratitude demands to be seen, felt, experienced and shared.  To me, gratitude is a verb; it is an action word!

What does Gratitude REQUIRE of ME?

Gratitude commands that I HAVE.  It demands that I HAVE patience with people who feel low, less than, lonely and little. It demands that I HAVE empathy for those who feel invisible, inaudible, insignificant and inadequate. It requires that I HAVE tolerance for those who love, live, believe and celebrate differently. Gratitude demands that I HAVE mercy for those who make mistakes, missteps, miscalculations and misinterpretations. It requires that I HAVE compassion for those who are hurting, homeless, helpless and hopeless. It challenges me to HAVE peace in my heart, my home, my community and in my world. Gratitude demands that I HAVE me….my back, my spirit, my health, my mind and my soul functioning to the best of my ability. Gratitude requires that I HAVE! Because to me, gratitude is a verb; it is an action word!

What does Gratitude REQUIRE of ME?

Gratitude demands me TO BE. Gratitude requires that I BE an advocate for those who feel minimized, marginalized, disenfranchised and unfairly criminalized. It demands that I BE a minister who preaches and proclaims that GOD loves all people – gay, straight, black, white, brown, red, yellow, abled, differently abled, poor, rich, sick and healthy - people. It demands that I share that God loves us all  - people from downtown, from uptown and even people who are just low down. God is LOVE!

Gratitude demands that I BE passionate, precise and persuasive in my speech as I express beliefs and positions that are unpopular, trivialized, chastised and unconventional.  Gratitude demands that I speak up, speak out and speak often for those who are denied a vote, a voice or a choice. Gratitude demands that I BE courageous, consistent, committed and concerned about things that not only affect me but also affect others. It requires that I BE powerful, persevering, passionate and purposeful in my life and in the lives others. Even though it is not proper English, gratitude demands that I BE.  Because to me, gratitude is a verb; it is an action word.

What does Gratitude REQUIRE of ME?

Gratitude requires that I DO. It requires that I DO justice to people who are not in my clique, my clan, my community, my corner or in my country.  It requires that I DO love, DO pray and DO empower the sick and shut-in, the imprisoned and locked-in, and the labeled and held-in.  It commands that I DO empowerment work to ensure that truth trumps tradition, virtue vetoes violence, education eliminates enmity, fairness fosters friendships, consideration cultivates the community, goodness guzzles greed and love lifts life.  Gratitude demands that I sometimes DO more, sometimes DO less, but ALWAYs DO better. Because to me, gratitude is a verb; it is an action word.

Gratitude also requires that I DO NOT. It requires that I DO NOT get blinded by blessedness and seduced by success. It requires that I DO NOT get discouraged by my depression and get sidetracked by my sicknesses. It requires that I DO NOT get impeded by my insecurities and intimidated by my inadequacies. It requires that I DO NOT get derailed by my doubts or discouraged by my detractors. It requires that I DO NOT get limited by lack or get lost in luxury. It demands that I DO NOT get frustrated by failure and faltered by falsehoods. It demands that I DO NOT let pessimism poison me, toxicity tackle me, regrets retard me, shame stifle me, guilt gobble me or my mistakes minimize me. Because gratitude is a verb; it is an action word.

God has been too good and too GOD to me. So I no longer just want to count my blessings; I want to make my blessings count.  Because gratitude is a verb; it is an action word.

Hallelujah! Praise God! Glory! And, amen!

Blessings!

SharRon Jamison
www.createloveforwomen.com
www.icandependonme-sharronjamison.com
www.sharronjamison.com
SharRoneJamison@gmail.com

Create Love Founders

Imani Evans and SharRon Jamison 

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March 8, 2014

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