Gratitude: making the common feel uncommon again

"The king made silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah."

~ 2 Chronicles 1:15

My entire life has been spent near the ocean. I grew up on Vancouver Island, including several years living at our family-run beach resort. In fact, the farthest I've ever lived from the ocean was when I went to college in Abbotsford, about 90-minutes away from the water.

In all these years I have never lost my love for or appreciation of the ocean. I'm not a fan of lakes (long story involving leeches when I was a child), but the ocean always captures my imagination. As a child I would spend countless hours exploring the intertidal zone, a practice I still enjoy today.

I'd like to think that if I were to live right at the ocean again I would be on the beach every day, but I know from experience that's not true. For example, I used to live in North Vancouver. Our home was about a 15-minute walk from the Baden-Powell Trail and Mount Fromme. I love the forest. I love hiking. I love trail running. But I probably got into the woods maybe 1-2 times a month.

Another example. Steveston Village is located at the mouth of the Fraser River's south arm. To get from my house into the Village I can either walk down the road, or add about two minutes to my walk and go along the boardwalk, right next to the river. It's a beautiful walk. When we first moved here I took the boardwalk every time without exception. Now, maybe 2/3 of the time.

Point being, when we have an abundance of something in our lives (in my case, the natural beauty of where I've lived), it begins to feel common.

Look at what happened in Jerusalem when King Solomon collected material for the Temple. Silver and gold became as common as stone. As a result, it was likely held in less regard than it was previously. This is what can happen to us in times of abundance - we can lose our sense of delight.

When my uncle from England came to visit my family many years ago, I asked him what he wanted to do while he was in Canada. His response: "My biggest hope for this trip is to see a bald eagle." To me, who saw bald eagles almost every week, it seemed like a low bar. But there are no bald eagles in England, and his delight at seeing one made me smile and shifted my view on how lucky I was to see bald eagles as much as I do.

Another time I met an English tourist who was fascinated by and took many photos of a squirrel. She said, "We don't have these kinds of squirrels in England. My family will love these." In other parts of the world monkeys are so abundant they are considered pests, yet it would bring me great delight to see one with my own eyes. 

PAUSE and REFLECT: 

What do you have in abundance in your life that others do not?

If you live in the West, you have an abundance of money compared to the rest of the world. You have an abundance of food. You have a roof over your head. Given that you're reading this email, you have a computer or smart phone, and you have literacy. You have a bank account, as opposed to many in developing nations who are unbanked.

You and I have these things in abundance, so they seem "common" (we think, "Of course I can read this").  But many in the world do not have these things (or at least not all of them like we do), and to have even one of them would bring that person much more delight than we might be feeling about them.

Closer to home, you likely have an abundance of natural beauty near you. Do you appreciate it as much today as when you first moved to your area?

The antidote to this "ho-hum" malaise, of course, is gratitude. We recover our delight when we remember how lucky / blessed we are for this abundance of things. If I can imagine walking the Steveston boardwalk for the first time (or just watch a tourist), it will help me recapture the awe and gratitude I felt.

Don't get me wrong - I do not take these things for granted, I still love the ocean / forest / boardwalk / material blessings. But I would be lying if I said they still capture my imagination like they used to, or evoke the same depth of delight. 

The practice of gratitude, especially when coupled with the reminder of how others might deeply desire the same things in their lives, will help restore a deeper sense of joy and appreciation.

You are so blessed by God. Look around you right now. Or think about what you did and where you've been this week. What is one thing in your life that others around the world may lack? You don't have that thing because you're better than those others. Frankly, you have them because you're lucky (e.g. to be born at a certain time and place, and to be given the privileges that made these things possible for you).

So take a moment to remember your blessings, give a heartfelt thanks, and remember how lucky you are.