Weekly SUMMER SNIPPETS for July 22, 2012: Why Some Fall While Others Have It All

Summer Snippets: Why Some Fall While Others Have It All

Did you ever wonder why some people stumble and fall, while others seem to have it all? I have! What I have also noticed is that as I grow older and hopefully a bit wiser I begin to realize how much I truly have received by God and in the very simple act of noticing, even more becomes available. It’s a bit like poking a hole in a rising batch of dough and instead of the mound deflating it rises all the more. And what comes to mind are the words of Jesus, “Whoever has, will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” I believe the parable has to do with what you do with what God has given you. The important thing is to note it, see it, acknowledge it. The second is to give thanks for it. Let’s take a look at each of these little nuggets.

Noticing and giving thanks in a regular consistent way is to acquire the habit of gratitude, for the sake of remembering it, let’s call it acquiring an “attitude of gratitude.” In recent years I have been able to do this and it wasn’t a difficult habit to form. Every night before retiring I simply take a few minutes to give thanks to God, making a mental list of five things that I can recall from that day for which I am grateful. They don’t have to be big things. They can be as ordinary and simple as having a nice chat with the young person at the checkout counter at the Giant, or that a rescheduled appointment gave me an extra hour to work at my desk, or I had enough leftover meatloaf from this evening to make a sandwich tomorrow for work. In addition, the items may be things that initially were not seen as a blessing, but now are. For example, it could be a fellow worker’s outburst at work has really cleared the air and created at atmosphere that is helping us to work things out or that sprained ankle has really slowed me down a bit and the past few days I’ve been able to smell the roses.

Do this noting of five blessings consistently and possibly in 21 days three things begin to happen. First you will begin to notice more and more of God’s blessings to you, blessings that previously didn’t even show up on the radar, so to speak. Second, you will begin to see some things that at first were not perceived as blessings, can now be considered so. Third, you begin to experience the blessings as they are taking place, that is, in the moment rather than solely as a memory of them after they have occurred. An additional note on this point: isn’t it a bit odd how the memory of the vacation or the memory of the wonderful dinner in that new restaurant, or the memory of the excitement over the first ride in the new car all bring more joy and satisfaction in remembering them than in the original experience of them? They say that’s true because we go through our lives living each day as if we are sleepwalking. This remembering of five things each evening will help you “wake up” to the gifts of God that surround us every moment.

So if you wonder why some people stumble and fall, while others seem to have it all, check out their “attitude of gratitude.” You could have it all as well. All it takes is noticing and giving thanks.

Fondly,

Father Nicholas

PS. Several have asked for past Summer Snippets. Weekly Snippets and homilies can all be found on FaceBook. Simply search for Father Nicholas Amato.