Gratefulnesse

I've written here a fair amount about gratefulness. There is so much to be grateful for. Sometimes I feel grateful; other times, not so much. Other times I either see the downside of things ("I'm a problem finder") or I take things for granted. 

At different times, each of these was true about our Camino de Santa Barbara. Whenever I became aware of it I would often recite the prayer at the end of George Herbert's poem Gratefulnesse.  

Gratefulnesse.

THou that hast giv’n so much to me, Give one thing more, a gratefull heart. See how thy beggar works on thee By art. He makes thy gifts occasion more, And sayes, If he in this be crost, All thou hast giv’n him heretofore Is lost. But thou didst reckon, when at first Thy word our hearts and hands did crave, What it would come to at the worst To save. Perpetuall knockings at thy doore, Tears sullying thy transparent rooms, Gift upon gift, much would have more, And comes. This notwithstanding, thou wentst on, And didst allow us all our noise: Nay, thou hast made a sigh and grone Thy joyes. Not that thou hast not still above Much better tunes, then grones can make; But that these countrey-aires thy love Did take. Wherefore I crie, and crie again; And in no quiet canst thou be, Till I a thankfull heart obtain Of thee: Not thankfull, when it pleaseth me; As if thy blessings had spare dayes: But such a heart, whose pulse may be Thy praise. (From The Temple, 1633).