Even when life is limited or painful, we have much to be thankful for. Colour, sound, texture, relationships, beauty in faces and bodies and art and clothing, different flavours of food, the riches of the natural world, material goods of all kinds, freedom of speech and conscience.
God waits to receive our thanks. Not because he’s a grudging giver like me. Because gratitude does us and our world immense good. So many influences in our society work to make us dissatisfied with what we have, when materially we’re phenomenally rich by comparison with most other people on the planet, and we’re spiritually rich in the riches of Christ.
I’m going to unilaterally declare this the Year of Thankfulness. Join me? Let’s try to thank God for more things every day, and marinate our lives in gratitude.
The phrase 'aggressively thankful' has stuck with me from a talk I heard a couple of years ago - a church member who consciously looks out for things to affirm and praise in other people, and writes several notes a week to people to say thankyou. I guess for a few of us that will come naturally, for the rest it will be a spiritual discipline, but a good one.
Tina's blog is Portishead Pilgrim.
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