Gratitude Practice
There are few spiritual practices as enjoyable and fulfilling as gratitude practice for two simple reasons. First, it lets us re-live blessing and grace and in this we have the experience twice. Just consider all the moments and experiences where the presence of God has been felt, the times when grace has hovered like a bank of coastal fog. Those memories are stored in our hearts and etched on our souls. Gratitude is the way we access them again and again. Gratitude practice invites us into the past where we experience those moments anew. Gratitude practice invites us into the present where grace peeks out like a wildflower in winter. Gratitude practice invites us into the future where we are expectant in the promise of grace yet to be revealed.
Second, gratitude builds on itself, and in this we find that even when we thought something had no redeeming value, grace still peers out like a shy child waiting to be coaxed out from hiding. Sometimes it’s difficult to find that shy child in the midst of situations that damage our hearts, or leave us in darkness, or fling our joy out the window, or challenge every bit of faith we have. We are so consumed with seeing ourselves through calamity that most of our energy is directed toward ”crisis management.” We console ourselves with the belief that God is with us, but finding the good and the grace-filled in the midst of it all can feel impossible. Gratitude practice helps us go back and look more deeply for the grace that seemed so distant, but it also helps us develop the skill for spotting grace even in the most dire circumstances.
—From Strength for the Journey: A Guide to Spiritual Practice
Written and read by Renée Miller
Photography by Diane Walker
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