Gratitude

Permit me to muse on about life with G.K. Chesterton a bit further.  In 'Orthodoxy' he continues his theme of children being fierce and free with God-like enthusiasm. He suggests, 'A tree grows fruit because it is a magic tree. It is the man who talks about a law he has never seen who is a mystic.'  'Having a nose is more comic even than having a roman nose.' 'God made the frog jump; but the frog prefers jumping.'  He returns to grownup land with,  'I could never mix in the common murmur of that rising generation against monogomy, because no restriction on sex seemed so odd and unexpected as sex itself. Keeping to one woman is a small price for so much as seeing one woman.'  Here is the wrap up: 'The test of all happiness is gratitude; and I felt grateful, though I hardly knew to whom. Children are grateful when Santa Claus puts in their stockings gifts of toys or sweets. Could I not be grateful to Santa Claus when he put in my stockings the gift of two miraculous legs? We thank people for birthday presents of cigars and slippers. Can I thank no one for the birthday present of birth.' (p60)

GK Chesterton is explaining his journey from atheism to God.  He suggests that it was the awareness of gratitude that caused him to think that there was magic in the world and behind the magic a Magician.  One who delighted in surprising people of faith. One who delighted in their delight.  I want to share the delight of children and discover God afresh! 

One last thought: 'Humility was largely meant as a restraint upon the arrogance and infinity of the appetite of man. He was always outstripping his mercies with his own newly invented needs. His very power of enjoyment destroyed half his joys. By asking for pleasure, he lost the chief pleasure; for the chief pleasure is surprise. Hence it became evident that if a man would make his world large, he must be always making himself small. It is impossible without humility to enjoy anything - even pride.' (p36)