‘The finest response we can offer God in return begins with gratitude’
By Bishop Mark Beckman
One of the moments of my daily morning prayer that has become increasingly significant through the years is the time I spend in silent stillness with the Lord. One particular awareness during that time has often been a sense that everything in life is pure gift.
As I breathe in, I am reminded that the breath of life itself is a gift from God, each and every moment of our existence in this world. The creation narrative of Genesis speaks of God breathing into man’s nostrils the breath of life and states “he became a living being.” It is by God’s creative power who formed us from the clay of the earth, created as we are in the image and likeness of God, that we have any existence at all.
Our life itself is pure gift. All that we have and are is gift.
From that standpoint my mind moves outward to the beauty of creation itself. The whole universe in all of its mystery and wonder, in its sheer immensity, is also pure gift from our Creator. The warmth of the morning sun, the dew upon the grass, the clouds in the sky, the gentleness of the wind against my skin, all living things great and small are formed and sustained by the loving gift of God.
My backyard is a microcosm of the greatness of God’s creation. Birdsong greets my mornings, the call of crow and blackbird. Rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, groundhog, and boxed turtle all I have noticed meandering about my small square of creation. Plants of East Tennessee and beyond bloom almost throughout spring and summer, even into fall, and thanks to the goodness of one of our cathedral parishioners, I enjoy strawberries and tomatoes from my small backyard garden.
The gift of God’s creation is revealed in the smallest of things, including fireflies and honeybees. On my journeys to our national parks, I have seen that magnificence in mighty mountains, canyons, deserts, and dark, night skies bursting with stars. There have been places where I felt I could almost reach out to touch the stars because of the lack of light pollution.
The universe itself is such a splendid gift from God.
Then my mind turns to all the beautiful gifts of being particularly human. The parents and grandparents God has given, brothers and sisters and all relations, friends and mentors, teachers, and all those persons we encounter on life’s paths. The gifts of civilization: a roof over the head, air-conditioned spaces, all the wonders that have come about because of electricity, books and hiking gear, clean, running water and food, even my hot mug of coffee in the morning! All gift.
Then my mind turns to the spiritual gifts of God—every grace and goodness God has so richly blessed us with from the moment of our creation, by being claimed in baptism, and the greatest gift of all—God! That the mystery of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—has been poured into our hearts and dwells in the core of our being, that we taste the goodness of God in the gift of the Eucharist, that God draws us into his own divine life!
The finest response we can offer God in return begins with gratitude!
From the moment that our awareness that all is gift touches our minds and hearts, we know that our entire life now must also become gift! To God, the gift of our entire self in love, praise, adoration, and worship. To this wonderful creation, that we become good stewards of what has been entrusted to our care in this time and place. To our brothers and sisters, the outpouring of our own generous love and service.
In the end nothing “belongs” to us completely but is meant to be shared freely for the good of all.
It’s all gift.
[Photo: Summer bucks with velvet on their antlers are seen grazing in Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Courtesy Anthony Heflin/dreamstime.com]