Gratitude

Thank you for the food we eat,

Thank you for your word so sweet

Thank you for the birds that sing,

Thank you God for everything.  Amen

Philippians 4:8-9

Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].The things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things [in daily life], and the God [who is the source] of peace and well-being will be with you. (AMP)

It’s widely accepted that stress is among the worst emotions for health and well-being.  Stress has been singled out as the underlying culprit in everything from heart-disease to hemorrhoids and nearly everything in between.  Fear, guilt, shame, worry, and anxiety  are just a few of the negative emotions that feed the stress response. Interesting to note that these are emotions God’s word encourages us to avoid, or the Cross of Christ has made the way for us to be free of.

What about the health effects of positive emotions?  A recent internet search for ‘gratitude and digestion’ brought up nearly half a million hits.  I read half a dozen of them; enough to reinforce my long-held belief in the importance of emotions when it comes to health in general and digestion in particular.

A few years ago, the Smithsonian magazine had an article by a photographer who captured tears and photographed them under a high powered microscope.  Tears of joy and happiness look very different than tears of grief and onions.  The emotions we experience change our body’s chemistry.  Tears reflect those changes.  Naturally occurring changes in body chemistry is undeniably powerful, and unconsciously manipulated by heart-held beliefs and the thoughts we ponder.

Drugs are synthesized attempts at duplicating the body’s natural ability to produce these powerful responses.

The chemicals released in our bodies when we are feeling grateful produce the optimum environment for healthy digestion, leading to healthy lives.  Fear, shame, and guilt are not the emotions to be laboring under when you eat.  Starting today, if you aren’t already in the habit, begin to be mindful of things you are grateful for, including but not limited to, what’s on the fork in front of you.  

Several years ago I stumbled on the frozen water crystal experiments of Dr. Masaru Emoto. He took water, that had been exposed to different emotionally charged environments or words, froze it, then photographed the frozen results.  If you have 3 or 4 minutes, check this out:
Water crystal video   Keep in mind that the human brain and heart are about 73% water, and suddenly Proverbs 18:21, The power of life and death are in the tongue, isn't so hard to figure out.

Our eleven-year-old grandson broke his leg skiing a couple weeks ago.  He told me about the horrible pain, laying in the snow, waiting for ski patrol and the people who stopped to help.  When I asked  what he felt when they stopped, without hesitation, he said, "Grateful! Unimaginably grateful!"  And I knew that flood of gratitude played a major role in his broken body that day; and will continue its miracle-work every time that memory is replayed and its power is released.

Gratitude, is a powerful force, let's release it!  Thank you for the food we eat, thank you for your word so sweet. Thank you for the birds that sing. Thank you Lord for everything! Amen