“O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good: for his steadfast love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34

Expressing Gratitude

Thanksgiving Day is over, the one day of the year when we are reminded to give thanks to God for all his many gifts to us. But throughout the rest of the year how often do we take the time to count our blessings? If we were to keep a gratitude journal we would be amazed at how much we have to be thankful for. Our attention would shift from what we lack in our lives to the abundance that is already present. We would take notice of the simple pleasures of life, the beauty of nature and the world around us, and the knowledge that we live in a free country where we have rights and privileges that do not exist in other parts of the world, not the least of which is the freedom of worship. Gratitude has tremendous benefits for our health and happiness. Gratitude reduces depression. Our feelings are linked to our thoughts, so it is difficult to feel depressed and sorry for ourselves when we express gratitude. God has given us many gifts, both big and small, to help us achieve the goodness in our lives, so let us count our blessings every day, not just at Thanksgiving time, In the words of Meister Eckhart, “If the only prayer you say in your life is ‘Thank you’ that would suffice.”

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