Gratitude

One of the remarkable things (in the mind of others) was that; despite being in the hospital I would continue to write out my tithe checks from the disability payments that I would receive each month. So why did I do it? Out of obligation? To impress others with my spirituality?

No! It was gratitude. If you notice the word it has the word "attitude" (minus one t) meaning: manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, esp. of the mind (from http://www.dictonary.com/). And to me, the first two letters "gr" could be short for "grateful": warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful: (also from http://www.dictionary.com/).

So in short gratitude is: "having manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc. with regard to being warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits, received" or just in one word "thankful". What did I have to be thankful for?

Yes, I had tubes and other things sticking out of me. I had a time where my only nourishment came from a tube coming through an IV (for 4 1/2 months). I couldn't bathe myself. There was a time where I was in restraints and couldn't move around. A period of time where I was being "breathed for", etc....but at least I was still alive.

If nothing else, I was thankful for that. And to use a term from Pesach (Passover), Dayenu (it would have been enough). And for me it would have been enough for me to still be alive. But I was blessed to be in a place where there are hospitals, blessed to have nurses, doctors, CNAs, and staff who kept an eye on me, blessed to have parents that loved me enough to take me to the hospital, etc.....

So if God loved me enough to care for me, should I show my thankfulness for His love by sharing the blessings that I have been given through the tithe, this blog, etc.....