That's Gratitude

Last month I wrote about "Hard Contentment" -- the difficulty of being content when we have so much. I asked if anyone was willing to work with me about becoming more grateful. You all chickened out. (Kidding, I'm just kidding.) However, I did get an email from someone who said, "Ok ... what's the plan?" Now, I know that my mother has been working earnestly at this concept, so I asked her, "Ok ... what's the plan?" and she had some things that she has done or is doing. I found them beneficial. Maybe you will, too.

1. She wrote a letter a week to someone she appreciated. She had ground rules. They didn't do anything FOR her. It was just something she appreciated. Someone who did something nice for someone else. Someone who did something brave or noble. Stuff like that. The idea was not to be grateful because someone gave you something or did something for you, but to be alert for things that might inspire your appreciation.

2. Every Sunday, instead of reading the Bible, she makes a list of things for which she's grateful. (She calls it her "Grateful List". Go figure.) These are things you might take for granted like running water, the ability to read, and so much that we might easily take for granted.

3. She sets aside prayer time specifically for thanking God. It is part of her prayer life. (More on this follows.)

4. She sets aside time for prayer for thanking God. You know, times when she should be grateful. In the kitchen fixing dinner she thanks God for being able to be in the kitchen fixing dinner. Getting out of bed she thanks God for being able to get out of bed.

5. She makes a point of thanking God for people before asking God for stuff for them.

6. She made a promise to God (that she is not yet keeping perfectly) to thank God for everything, most specifically for the hardships, the difficulties, the hurts, the annoyances. That could include health or red lights or disappointments from people or ...

She says this is a start. Sounds like a leap to me. Maybe gratitude isn't all it's cracked up to be, eh?