"Thou who hast given so much to me, give one thing more – a grateful heart." -Don Schlosser
Delight. Just hearing the word brings a lovely kind of energy, doesn't it? Imagine living in the arms of delight each day.
One way in which we fall into her lap is through the magic of gratitude. I have often wondered why I forget this message so often – especially since we in America are in the midst of celebrating Thanksgiving.
For example, a friend of mine asked me recently if I felt loved by nature. Never having considered this, I couldn't answer right away.
If I were truly grateful for nature I would feel her embrace, wouldn't I? Why wasn't I in touch with that?
The very question has led me down the forest path to delight. I find myself beginning to receive a gift which was always there, but which I had never unwrapped. Of course, that gift is available to us all. Perhaps, you can feel it in the photograph I took recently that shows the sun wrapping itself around an oak.
Love holds us as close as we will allow ourselves to be held. Love never turns us away. The question is whether we will accept the continuous offer Love extends.
As we approach Thanksgiving, what worries circle your heart? Psychologists tell us to be wary of expecting too much at the holidays. "Don't over-plan for everybody else," they warn. "Don't try to solve interpersonal issues during the holidays."
Now we know what we are not supposed to do, what are we to do? What about savoring our friends and family as well as the great food? What about replacing old resentments and irritations with delight in the company Thanksgiving provides?
Meanwhile, outside the halls of hospitals, hospices and nursing homes, nature breathes the aroma of life. Beyond the dining room, the woods, the lakes, the gardens, the sea all offer relief, refreshment, and Love's boundless energy.
Do you experience delight in Nature's gifts? Do you feel loved by her? Do you feel delight right now, not because you are supposed to, but because the word offers you its own special energy?
Love holds us as close as we will allow her. And when we let Love speak to us, a rich delight arrives.
-Erie Chapman
Journal of Sacred Work 
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