Gratitude

AM Psalm 40, 54 • PM Psalm 51
Deut. 26:1-11 • 2 Cor. 8:16-24 • Luke 18:9-14

In the readings for today I kept hearing a theme of gratitude, of thankfulness. The psalmist is so thankful that the “glad news must be told in the great congregation.” The passage from Deuteronomy is about a ritual of gratitude and thanksgiving in dedicating the “first fruits” of the season to God. And in Luke with the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector we have an example of how not to give thanks.

If you were raised as I was, we learned the “magic word” of “please” followed by the mandatory “thank you.” Maybe there was more to it than just a rote response. Maybe there was an intention toward thankfulness. Toward gratitude. Toward being aware of blessings.

This past year has been hard for all of us. Harder for some than others. Some of what has helped me has been being aware of so much I have to be thankful for. The big obvious things of course; food, shelter, health, freedom from want. But what helped sometimes was the watching for the small blessings. A summer tanager flying through the trees. An indigo bunting on the feeder. The quiet of snow. The softness of my cat’s coat. As I focused on the smalls and took them in, I quieted inside. I gave thanks. I could breathe more deeply. When I could carry that spirit of gratitude within me, the world wasn’t as hard to deal with.

There just might be something to that song from the movie, “White Christmas.” “Count your blessings instead of sheep and you’ll go to sleep counting your blessings.” There are God’s blessings all around us.

Written by Jacqui Brandli

So very grateful to be able to worship in church with friends and music.