Thankfulness brings peace.

It makes room for contentment but crowds out entitlement. I find that when I feel entitled, my gratitude declines while my complaints multiply.

There are no bounds to the quality or quantity that I feel I deserve when I allow entitlement to shroud gratefulness. When I am entitled, service could always be faster, and goods could be better. Never mind what I receive, I focus on what more I could have gotten. After all, I am entitled to it. There will always be an outstanding balance due.

In contrast, when I expect less, I get more.

Baffled?

I, too, was astounded when it happened… repeatedly.

My sister and I were feeding senior citizens in our community. We agreed to do a catered pro bono affair. We would not charge a dime.

Ironically, the “donations” left for us by our grateful guests amounted to much more than they would have accepted being charged. We were better compensated by not charging than by charging.

“The gratuities of gratitude,” I call it.

In relationships, too, when I give people space for individuality to flourish, they respond better than when stringent rules are imposed. With no grumbling, no fault-finding, no chastising, but an atmosphere of appreciation, God’s peace reigns in the heart.