Just Saying Thanks
It’s a tough lesson to teach, and it’s a tough lesson to learn: “How to be grateful, and how to appreciate everything that we have.” From time to time we should take a moment to sit back, reflect, and simply be thankful. Be thankful to God. Be thankful to our parents. Be thankful to those around us who help us in so many different ways. We live in a time that focuses on instant gratification. We’ve come to expect everything to happen so quickly in our lives, that having a sense of reflection is no longer a normal thing. So today, take time to sit back and thank God for the gift of life that we were freely given.
What does it really mean to say, “I’m in”? In this FatherSide Chat, Father Gene explores Ash Wednesday and Lent not as rituals of guilt, but as intentional renewal. A season to recommit, refocus, and choose something better for ourselves and those around us.
Some moments stay with us forever—the instant understanding clicks, or gratitude suddenly deepens. Father Gene reflects on recognizing “the good stuff”: learning, resilience, and the quiet sacrifices of those who came before us that made our own lives possible.