Reflection on Gratitude and Thankfulness
Here we are in the month of November already, moving quickly towards Thanksgiving weekend!
While the focus of the holiday is primarily our national history; as followers of Christ, thankfulness and gratitude are also important disciplines within our faith tradition.
As a chaplain, guiding people in developing a gratitude journal was one of the tools in my proverbial toolbox for helping them cope with various issues and situations, especially if they were struggling with depression.
A 2015 article from Psychology Today talks about the benefits of keeping such a journal. There are physical and psychological benefits, we sleep better, reduce stress, build emotional resilience, and it can be a helpful way to process trauma we may have experienced.
In pointing to the benefits of cultivating gratitude as a personal practice, the article complements the spiritual discipline of practicing thankfulness as a response to God's goodness. Being mindful of our blessings and responding with gratitude integrates the emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects of our lives in a way that fosters health and healing, not to mention cultivating our relationship with God.
So, as we reflect on our blessings this month and take to heart the imperative to "give thanks to the Lord," I pray you and your congregation will reap the goodness of the practice of gratitude.
Rev. Jenni Bales
Director of Communications
