Gratitude

Gratitude

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

DESPITE A COMFORTABLE HOME and food in the cupboards, I was feeling a little ungrateful. With my husband working from home and kids doing distance learning, the house felt overly noisy and constantly messy. I chafed at a lack of time and solitude, even as I recognized how minor those concerns were compared to financial and health hardships others were facing.

Brewing coffee one morning, I opened the cupboard and paused. In the front row, facing outward, was one of my favorite cups: a simple cream mug with the word Grateful. Snagging it from the shelf, I was reminded of my friend Andrea and our gratitude challenge. For fourteen days, we texted each other every evening with three things we were grateful for that day. Studies have shown that doing so can boost your happiness level for up to six months afterward.

During the challenge, I was struck by how the smallest of details were reasons to be grateful: brisket on the grill, a chat with a friend, going for a walk, a nice family dinner, work finished on time, kids playing well together, a sunny day, new books from the library, donuts, a campfire, and more. None of those items was particularly earth-shattering, but added up over the course of the day, they mattered. The very act of naming so many things that made us grateful increased our joy.

By the end, we were both glad we’d committed to the exercise. Days later, the mug from Andrea showed up on my doorstep. Now, each time I see it, I’m reminded of our experiment and how grateful I am for all that I have.

Lord, help us to see the beauty in the small details of life and appreciate them each day. Amen.

-Kristin

One Good Step: Try a Gratitude Challenge. Find an accountability partner and spend the next fourteen days sending each other three things you’re grateful for each day. Discuss it afterward to see how your attitude and perceptions changed.