Giving Thanks
Gratitude is at the heart of healthy spirituality.
Gratitude is a sense that we have received good gifts. That sense—or its absence—drives our lives, deeply shaping how our hearts and wills respond to whatever we meet in life.
Gratitude is a buffer against bitterness and a gateway to joy. It fuels generosity and squelches our most covetous impulses before they can lead us to hurt other people. Gratitude reveals the silliness of envy and fosters a desire to serve.
Gratitude is the soil in which all the virtues grow and flourish.
Our spiritual practices help us cultivate gratitude. They turn down the volume on the voices that chip away at our sense of thankfulness and create space in which the roots of gratitude can grow. Even when we’re not particularly conscious of it, gratitude is present in our prayers and in our listening to the Word of God. It grows in our times of meditation and silence, and is cultivated in our songs and times of worship. (I think it is even present, as a subtext, when we sing or recite laments!).
If you’re looking for a few spiritual exercises that intentionally cultivate gratitude, consider the following, either with a group of by yourself.
Silence and Simple Thanks Sit still and quiet, and allow your mind to turn to things for which you’re grateful. As you think of something, simply say aloud, “Thanks” or “Thank You”. (This is a simple group prayer!)
Gratitude Board Take a few post-it notes and designate a space to post “Thank You” notes for a period of time. As you think of something you’re grateful for, write it on a note and stick it on the wall! (This could be something you do regularly, with your family, or at an event like a family gathering!)
Refrain of Thanks Here’s a little idea: Take a short phrase, like “Thanks be to God” or “You are the giver of all good things”, and set it to a really simple tune…just a few notes. If in a group, have people say things they’re grateful for and let the group repeat the little refrain (It may feel a little silly, but that’s okay). Or, as an individual, just try and repeat your little refrain whenever you find yourself delighted by any of life’s gifts!
Gratitude Journal Take a notebook, and set it by your bed. Every morning or night, write one or two things you’re grateful for. (For groups, consider having a journal that your group passes around every time you meet, as a shared gratitude journal. Encourage everyone to write just a line each time. Simple is better!)
Collage of Thanks Put together a group of pictures of things that fill you with joy and thankfulness today. Take five minutes and pick 10 pictures! (As a group, start a message thread and have everybody send one or two pics—no words! Oh, okay, a thread of words is a good, separate exercise.)
Tasting Thanks It’s common for people of faith to say a prayer of thanks before they eat. But for an intentionally grateful experience, try taking the first 2-3 minutes of a meal, and think of some reason for gratitude before taking each bite. Just think of something, and then take a bite, savoring both the food and the gratitude you feel for whatever it is. If you’re in a group, have everybody do this for a couple of minutes. when you’re done, I bet a conversation about things you’re grateful for naturally breaks out!
