Embracing Divine Grace in Every Moment
From my point of view, sincere gratitude to God must become an inseparable and constant part of life, expressed practically every moment when we become aware of the manifestation of His mercies. Gratitude is not limited solely to joyful or favorable events but encompasses the entirety of life—from the gift of birth to each instance of rescue when we inadvertently escaped trouble or experienced joy.For example, one source clearly exhorts us to remember all benefactions:"Particularly try to internalize this last point: bring yourself to awareness of the great mercies of God specifically toward you, and then always thank God for them. Give thanks for the fact that He allowed you to be born, to be born into the milieu of the Christian community, from pious parents, and later to receive such a good upbringing." (source: link txt)Attention is also given to examining your entire life from the very beginning and noticing moments when, even without realizing it, we received God’s mercy:"Review your whole life from the beginning—as far back as you can remember—and note every instance of accidental deliverance from trouble and accidental reception of joy. We often overlook many hardships… So, observe those moments in your life and affirm that it was the mercy of God, who loved you." (source: link txt)It is also important to note that gratitude must be sincere and fully embraced even during difficult times, when trials and sorrows help us deepen our love for the Lord:"We must thank the Lord for temptations and sorrows, for in them we are tested in our love for the Lord and draw closer to Him..." (source: link txt)Thus, sincere gratitude is expressed not only regularly—almost every day—but also for everything that occurs in life. We thank God for the gift of life, for a nurturing upbringing, every unexpected joy, and even for the trials that help us grow spiritually. This continuous awareness and acknowledgment that every blessing and every trial comes from God forms the foundation for our true and profound thankfulness.Supporting citation(s):"Particularly try to internalize this last point: bring yourself to awareness of the great mercies of God specifically toward you, and then always thank God for them. Give thanks for the fact that He allowed you to be born, to be born into the milieu of the Christian community, from pious parents, and later to receive such a good upbringing." (source: link txt)"Review your whole life from the beginning—as far back as you can remember—and note every instance of accidental deliverance from trouble and accidental reception of joy. We often overlook many hardships… So, observe those moments in your life and affirm that it was the mercy of God, who loved you." (source: link txt)"We must thank the Lord for temptations and sorrows, for in them we are tested in our love for the Lord and draw closer to Him..." (source: link txt)