To see treasures in each moment of being: the ninth faith characteristic listed in
Alton’s letter arises from a heart of gratitude and an understanding of the
rare privilege of sentient existence. A
spirit of ingratitude is the foundation of a set determination to take all
things (most especially life itself) for granted. The alternative perspective is that the
greatest wealth that any of us can have is the fundamental gift of life
itself. Gratitude comes with a sense of
wonder and of obligation—of wonder at the vast array of life and of obligation to
make each moment count. There is an
underlying conviction that to spurn the gift of life would be in some sense a
sin against the Creator. Viewing each
moment as special heightens awareness and imagination and enhances
creativity. Life ceases to be a burden
of boredom and becomes instead an opportunity for creative observation most especially
in the midst of the familiar and everyday.
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