Revisiting gratitude

Just a little while ago, I visited the the Delphic Maxim 'be grateful (Ευγνωμων γινου), and I revisited it a while after. I want to revisit that post today again today, to further illustrate a point I started in that second post but never truly finished: that worship of the Theoi--for me--should be a staple not just in times of need or want, but especially during the times when everything is going right.

I consider myself a very blessed person; as I wrote in that first post on the topic, I have a lot to be grateful for. Some of the things I am grateful for, I have received after prayer: I came to the Theoi in a time of need, and They graciously shifted my life in such a way that with hard work and perseverance, I eventually saw my prayers fulfilled. For these blessings, I have given pious sacrifice and thanks, knowing full well that without Their help, I would not have been able to accomplish what I accomplished; not because I don't consider myself good enough, but because some things are simply beyond the scope of mortal influence.

Some of the other blessings in my life, I did not ask for at all. These I simply received. Often, I did not realize how great a gift those things were until years later. Take my scholastic career: I've had some unfortunate events, delays that I suffered at the time, but looking back had me end up at just the right place at the right time to seize huge opportunities in the present and near future. If I had taken the courses I am taking now, one or two years earlier, I would have lacked vital information, skills, and opportunities to maneuver myself into a position where I could quite possibly land myself a very, very good job in a few months. Even last year, the course which got me an in at a major company, looking for people exactly like me, would not have been given.

I practiced temperance back then, and let the Theoi pick my path. Looking back, They have not only watched over me, but guided me to a position where everything I have done previously--including studies, projects, and jobs--now line up perfectly with the requirements being asked of me. They have allowed me to present myself as not only knowledgeable, but competent and skilled, beyond the scope of the individual parts. Such is the influence of the Theoi on my life.

I think it's incredibly important to not only look back upon your life frequently and try to filter out the messages and gentile (and not so gentile) pushes, but also give thanks for the 'bigger picture' whenever you find yourself on a convergence of paths you have been put on by the Gods. Give sacrifice and words of thanks to 'all who have aided you', and for all the patience They have had while you were simply not getting the bigger picture and fighting Them every step of the way. Its a lesson in humility, and a very valuable one at that.

Very soon, I will hold a big ritual out of gratitude, with burnt offerings, hymns and copious amounts of incense. I get it now: I see what the Theoi have provided for me, and how They have provided for me. I might still not see the full picture--I feel that is well beyond the scope of my limited mortal eyes--but I see this part of it, and just that part alone is so immersive, so elaborate, that it deserves my gratitude, and deep awe.