I remember hearing a few years ago a sermon that Rev. Michael Beckwith gave at Agape where he said, “You are to be grateful for everything in your life…not just the good stuff…but EVERYTHING.”   When I first heard that I thought, he must be speaking metaphorically or something. Because, how could we be grateful for illness, relationship trouble, failure, lack, etc.?   No, he really meant everything. 

Well, we know that sometimes the most amazing blessings come to us out of the most challenging experiences.  At the very least, we’ve learned a lesson. We’ll never make that mistake again, right?  We can also learn more about forgiveness.  We can learn to forgive ourselves, our family and our friends.  What a blessing that is. Forgiveness frees us.

But there is a deeper level on which we can take this message.  Beckwith went on to say that, “when we are grateful for everything, we are literally lifting our vibration…lifting it out of the realm of dense, physical form…out of the realm of ‘effect’ and into the the vibration of ’cause’.”  

Okay, if we accept that everything is energy, and all things vibrate at a certain vibration…and that like vibration attracts that which is like itself, then this begins to make sense.  In other words, if I am focusing on how bad my current experience is, this causes me to feel pretty bad about myself, other people, and life in general.  I am now vibrating at a level that will…if I don’t change it…attract more challenging experiences to me.

But, how do I change it?   I can begin to change my vibration by shifting my perception.   I can shift my perception to a place where I understand that these challenging circumstances and experiences are, in fact, “effects” in my life.  It’s not who I am. Who I am is far greater than the experiences and circumstances of my life.  I am an expression of Life itself.  When I focus on this…I can be thankful for my life. When I am thankful for my life, I begin to feel better about myself and about life in general. 

When I feel better about these my life, my mind becomes clearer. I can begin to see solutions to certain challenges. I begin to get ideas about how I can change things.  I can also feel more compassion for myself and others.  I can love myself more.  All of this lifts my vibration into the realm of “cause” from which my experience flows.  And the experiences that flow from this vibration are blessed indeed.

What do you think?  Do you think it’s possible to be grateful for everything?  Can you honestly be grateful for everything? Share your thoughts by commenting here.

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Today I am grateful for the experiences in my life that have led me to this point…I am open and available to Spirit to move through me.