Gratitude in Life

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” (Psalm 118:1-4 ESV).

Sometimes it is difficult to live a life of gratitude. It is always better to count our blessings, though sometimes it’s just easier to count our miseries. It seems to come naturally to fall into that trap. Miseries can capture our thoughts and interrupt our days more readily than blessings. However, counting our miseries will shrink our soul, and in the end we become more miserable than when we began. When we first begin to practice the habit of gratitude it may be seem to be enormously difficult; however, it does produce space for joy. When I choose to focus on what I have been given, rather than linger over what I’m missing, I feel happier. I am able to be more content and less agitated. And when I choose to face my miseries directly and find blessings in them, something miraculous happens. I view all of life differently. I see my circumstances through a lens of faith. And I am able to declare with confidence that, even in the worst of circumstances, God is good and there is much to be thankful for. For years I pictured the first Thanksgiving as the Pilgrims’ joyful celebration of a bountiful harvest, sharing with the indigenous people God’s abundant provision in a fertile new land. But celebrating the first Thanksgiving was an act of faith and sober worship, not a natural response to prosperity and abundance. In the fall of 1620, the Mayflower set sail for Virginia with 102 passengers on board. On December 16, they landed in Massachusetts, far north of their intended destination, just as winter was setting in. This northern climate was much harsher than Virginia’s, and the settlers were unprepared for the cold season ahead. Winter brought bitter temperatures and rampant sickness. Shelter was rudimentary. Food was scarce. People lay dying. That winter, all but three families dug graves in the hard New England soil to bury a husband, wife, or child. By the spring of 1621, half of the Pilgrims had died from disease and starvation. No one was untouched by tragedy. And yet in the midst of these monumental losses, the Pilgrims chose to give thanks. They focused on our reading today. The Pilgrims chose to be grateful for what they had, rather than to focus on all they had lost. Their thanksgiving was not based on pleasant circumstances, but rather on the understanding that God was to be thanked in both prosperity and adversity. Their gratitude was not a “positive thinking” façade, but a deep and steadfast trust that God was guiding all their circumstances, even when life was difficult. Viewing their lives through a lens of gratitude changed their perspective. We should see to develop that habit as well.