English Article | Gratitude can help you solve problems! | Jacob Varghese

There is no doubt that living through a pandemic is challenging. But as I have gone through my experience with Covid I can testify that God’s help is always there for those who trust in God. Now as I recover from those difficult times I want to remind all of us that life will return to normal—even if it is a new kind of normal. In the meantime, try to look on the bright side during this difficult situation—it’s beneficial for your spiritual, mental and your physical health.

What’s more, turning in to a mode of gratitude can help you solve problems. Be grateful, be more creative, build resilience, and strengthen your immune system. So, be sure you are stopping to think about what you are grateful for right now. Doing so can help you cope with COVID-19 and boost your mood along the way. Being grateful everyday is one of the main reasons that I was able to work on overcoming anxiety and facing my fears in my life during my isolation days during Covid. COVID-19 has a way of making people feel like their world was turned upside down overnight. They struggle with feeling scared and feeling like everyone is overreacting.

But learning to practice gratitude every day can help bring some stability to your life by getting you to focus on what is good rather than what is uncertain or unpredictable. Whether it’s a hello in a Zoom meeting or a simple statement during a telephone call, letting someone know you are grateful for them not only improves your mood, but improves their mood as well. Be sure you are generous with your gratitude and you will not only see improvement in your own mindset but also in those around you.

Gratitude doesn’t have to be for something so significant. In fact, being thankful for something as small as a fresh cup of coffee, a sunny day, or a small help can give your mood a little boost and train your brain to see the good rather than the bad. Think about the worst moments in your life and then, contrast those with where you are now. Consider not only how you endured, but also what you learned through the experience. As I write this I have so many little, little things to remember and be thankful to. Friends who brought medicines, provisions, vegetables, served me with a meal or the ones who provided me with a soup, taken care of my family members and so many such things.

I want to write a thanks note, text or voice message, or email expressing my gratitude. Tell someone you appreciate them and it can help you feel more connected to other people in your life. Becoming more grateful can be a powerful tool for navigating the current crisis. Life without Christ is a crisis. Many prominent spiritual thinkers see gratitude as a key element in developing the inner life of a Christian and becoming more fully human. So having Christ in your life makes you grateful to God and to others.  We may think that gratitude is a feeling. It is much more than that. It is simply living in the real world, in which everything is a gift from God- ‘the giver of all good things’. Covid-19 is a human catastrophe. But it is also making millions consider what is important, and to count their blessings – particularly if they have not contracted the illness. This is a pandemic which pays no respect to wealth or status: you look around and you can see, it has infected everyone alike. It was scary for me walking into the hospital in the beginning and realizing the virus was really there.

In conclusion let me invite you to join me in this short prayer. Lord God, thank you very much for all the blessings that you never get tired of giving us. Even though we are not worthy of your love, you are still there to love us. Lord we are humbly asking forgiveness from you for all our sins. Cleanse our hearts and remove all the negative emotions we hold. Lord I surrender my life to you, make each of us your instrument of love so that other people can know You through our life. Dear Lord, help us to be grateful to You and to the people around us for all the blessings we receive for which we will be in debt eternally. Lord, I pray that You take control of the spread of Covid and heal our land. Lord, you are our only hope and strength. Lord God, all the praise and thanks giving are Yours, in the name of Jesus. Amen.