A Circle of Inspiration

A CIRCLE of INSPIRATION

Whenever I’m in a hospital lobby, I check out the gift shop. They seem to have items I don’t find elsewhere.

During my “bear collecting” phase, I found a cute figurine of a bear settled in an overstuffed armchair. He has a book in his lap and one leg crossed over the other. I enjoy this bear because he is smiling. It confirms my belief that reading is a pleasure.

I was waiting in a hospital lobby a few weeks ago. Reading to fill the time, I decided a walk would do me good. I hadn’t gone far when I noticed the gift shop. I wandered in to look around.

What caught my eye was a display of Raku Medallions by artist Jeremy Diller. Each clay circle was three inches in diameter. I picked one up and was surprised by a simple message stamped into the back: I Am Grateful.

Trial by Fire

The artist had included an informative plaque with his display: Each handcrafted Raku Medallion is fired in an outdoor kiln, and left to smolder in a pit with wood shavings. Not everyone survives their trial by fire. The ones that do cultivate strength and beauty. My silent prayer was, “Lord, help me to be one of those people.”

I had not planned to buy anything, so I left the shop and finished my walk. Back in the lobby I read for a while, but I kept thinking of the “trial by fire” message. I went back to the gift shop to read it again.

One medallion caught my eye. It was a white heart in the center of white lines which radiated out to form a cross. I turned it over and found the grateful heart message stamped into the back. I thought that makes sense. To survive my trial by fire I will need a grateful heart. I had my wallet this time, so I bought it.

Thankful or Grateful . . . 

To be grateful is to be appreciative or thankful. Thankfulness inspires a warm feeling toward someone for something good that has happened. On the other hand, to be thankless is to be ungrateful and self-centered. It can even be prideful if we think the good thing that happened was simply what we deserved.

Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” and “be thankful.” Thankfulness opens our heart to God’s peace. We can’t be thankful and discontented at the same time.

The Message puts it this way: Cultivate thankfulness. I like that. There is nothing automatic about being grateful.

I came home, hung the medallion by my desk and took out my journal. The Amplified Bible says, “Be thankful (appreciative), giving praise to God (always).”

In a matter of seconds, I had listed eight things for which I was thankful. It was very uplifting.

How About You?

Have you been going through your own trial by fire? Imagine a circle of inspiration stamped I Am Grateful. Thankfulness is a personal thing, so give it some thought.