There is never a good reason to push someone to give thanks; if thanksgiving is to please God, it must come from the heart. And if it must come from the heart, it cannot be forced.

Supporters have various reasons for wanting survivors to be thankful. Whatever your reasons are, pray that the survivor will have enough emotional resources to be thankful. It may seem to you that someone has many things to be grateful for, but remember that you cannot know all of this person’s history, pain, or struggles. You have no idea what someone has gone through to get to this point in life, just like no one else knows everything that you’ve experienced. Everyone sees life through a different lens and we can’t fully grasp another person’s perspective.     

When you’re tempted to judge and say how someone ought to react, or what they ought to feel, try this trick. Ask yourself, “But what do you know?” and answer, “Not enough.”  Then work on having a grateful heart and you’ll find that your gratitude can be contagious, given enough time.

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