In the US this week, we celebrate Thanksgiving. It is a remarkable time of gratitude and connection that I don’t want to lose sight of amid turkey, football, and naps.
This Psalm has been front and center for me this week.
Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.
I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:19-24
Practicing Gratitude
Even after reading about the many benefits of a gratitude practice, I didn’t start a daily gratitude practice until I realized I didn’t want to become a grouchy, crotchety, critical and cynical older man.
So over a few years, I developed something that works for me. I wanted to share it as an encouragement to find something that works for you.
After reading a bible passage, I pull out my journal and write down three things:
- An attribute of God I want to thank Him for how it benefits me
- A difficult or hard situation I am currently facing
- An ordinary moment that felt infused with the divine
This is what it looks like today…
God, thank you for the blessing of your Son, Jesus. He is the Gates of Righteousness. His is the name that welcomes us into your presence. What a privilege it is to know that I am always with you, and there is nowhere I can go where you will not be right there with me.
I am increasingly aware of how difficult it is for me to maintain focus and finish the things I know I need to get done. The internal discomfort I feel when things get tough makes it easy for me to jump to different things and entertain distractions. I am grateful for this, as in a weird way it tells me that I am working on the right things. If it were easy, it wouldn’t be work.
I am grateful for the moment last night when my two daughters were chit-chatting and retelling the story of Frozen II. They were talking about moments that touched them, playing the songs from the movie and debating which one was better Frozen or Frozen II. I love the privilege it is to be the father of daughters.
Happy Thanksgiving…
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You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God; I will extol you.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Psalm 118:28-29
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