Gratitude is the Genetic Makeup of Joy

“Gratitude is the genetic makeup of joy,” she said as she set her hot tea on the table.
I looked at the snow melting off the old Chevy out front and thought to myself “Then maybe I have a genetic mutation…” Being thankful in the winter never made sense to me. How can one carry joy when their son is dying?
“I guess what I’m trying to say is it’s hard to be cold and grateful at the same time...” I said as I looked at my dark-haired friend Sarah, the mother of Isaac.
“The way the sun settles the snow, the Son settles the soul…”
Maybe what arteries are to the heart, gratitude is to the soul. With each “thank you” that crosses our lips, our human heart begins beating with a cadence of joy… the kind of joy that transforms into obedience. In a way, only the Son and the Lamb could model. And when Jesus said it was joy that was set before Him to endure the cross, maybe He meant it?
So carrying my cross is what I will do. And when it becomes too much to bear and my unanswered prayers become covered in cobwebs and the world tries to justify new convictions, I’ll lift my head up, letting the Son settle my soul… Settling me into His nature and His promises. And then, only then will my cold heart begin beating with the warmth only His mercy and joy could provide.