Being Grateful for Being Grateful
Table Talk
Setting the Table
You are welcome here. Come just as you are, bringing whatever is on your heart today. Take a few moments and allow yourself to just be. Take a couple of deep breaths, grab yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle, do something that brings you comfort. Allow yourself to be present in this moment.
Consider how a grateful heart seems to attract more reasons to be grateful.
Grace and gratitude go together like heaven and earth; grace evokes gratitude like the voice and echo.
— Theologian, Karl Barth
Even if a situation is 90 percent what you don’t want, you can still be grateful for the other 10 percent.
— Dr. Alex Korb
Luke 17:14-16a
When he [Jesus] saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him.
Food for Thought
In the Gospel of Luke, there is a story of how Jesus encountered ten men who had been stricken with leprosy, a contagious skin disease that had forced these men into a life of alienation and poverty. When they see Jesus, they cry out to him to have mercy upon them. In response, Jesus simply tells them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”
The Apostle Luke recounts that when one of the ten realized Jesus healed him of his disease, he turned around and went back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. Shouts of “gratefulness” replaced his former shouts for relief, and he kneeled at Jesus' feet full of gratitude.
Gratitude is not an easy or automatic response to life situations. Often we overlook opportunities to express gratitude. However, it is a virtue that, when practiced regularly, can be cultivated into a spiritual practice and a habit of character.
Feeling overwhelmed by the volume of negativity unleashed in our world today, it occurred to me that gratitude could be an effective counter for my well-being. After a deep dive into the research on gratitude, I made the intentional decision to name five things, nightly, for which I am grateful before going to sleep. Several weeks into this spiritual practice, I noticed that my mind was quieter and my thoughts clearer.
Dr. Alex Korb describes how gratitude boosts the neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin, and the hormone, oxytocin – all leading to the finding that the frequency with which one experiences the feeling of gratitude, as well as the depth of emotion when experiencing it, are linked to improvements in perceived social support as well as reduced stress and depression.
More than a pleasant feeling, researchers have also found that expressions of gratitude enable us to savor positive experiences, cope with stressful situations and see good in the world amidst devastation and disappointment. Not only is gratitude good for our mental health and well-being, it promotes physical health and social interactions. Grateful individuals experience reductions in bodily complaints, toxic emotions, and increases in interdependent traits such as empathy, forgiveness and willingness to help others (McCullough 2002). Enhancing social harmony, grateful people are more susceptible to recognizing when others are being kind to them. When gratitude is given, it is reciprocated with more gratitude.
The word gratitude comes from the Latin root gratus, meaning pleasing; welcome; agreeable. Gratus is the root of the word grace. Theologian Karl Barth remarked that “grace and gratitude go together like heaven and earth; grace evokes gratitude like the voice and echo.”
Being grateful for being grateful is central to the human divine relationship. Gratitude enhances a lavish, vast vision beyond our current circumstances.
Counting our blessings doesn’t only cheer us up, it can also shift our perspective. Gratitude doesn’t blind us to the realities of the world. Rather, gratitude enables us to acknowledge the negatives and appreciate the positives.
Gratitude is a virtue that inspires perspective, enhances perception and unleashes possibilities. Simply decide to intentionally practice expressing gratitude – no special training or exhaustive practice is required. Make a schedule and implement the spiritual practice of being grateful for being grateful. My life is enriched because of doing so.
Each night this week, take time to name five things for which you are grateful before going to sleep. Read over each of those items and express your gratitude – whether that be shouting for joy, meditating over each item, or just quietly saying “Thank you.”
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For a printable version of today's reflection Click Here!
Blessing
Loving God,
Like the leper in Luke, help us to remember the many reasons we have to shout with a grateful heart. You have created us in such a way that the simple act of acknowledging our blessings is a deep act of caring for the most vulnerable parts of our heart – it draws us closer to you. Let us not take that for granted.
Amen.
A little Table Talk for your table...
Do you make gratitude a regular practice? In what ways does gratitude show up for you?
Make a list of simple ways you can begin incorporating more acts of gratitude into your everyday life.
Do you see the act of gratitude as a holy practice? If so, how? Why?
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
Ask your kiddo what gratitude means to them.
Make a list together of a few simple ways you can incorporate more acts of gratitude into your everyday life.
Have your kiddo draw a picture of something they are grateful for. Let their creativity be their guide, there is no right way to do this!
Meet our Welcoming Voice!
Rev. Cheryl Harris is an American Baptist preacher originally from Boston, MA, who is dedicated to the power of dialogue in bridging racial divides and fostering understanding. She is the founder of Cheryl Harris and Associates, Inc., which helps companies and organizations along the path to true inclusivity. Among many notable accomplishments, Cheryl earned a Master of Divinity from Boston University School of Theology, a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Emmanuel College, and an accreditation as a Life Coach; she has served as the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Attleboro, and is the author of "Divinity, Diversity, Dialogue: Listening and Learning Our Way to the Beloved Community". Rev. Cheryl is the mother of two adult children and one grandson. She finds respite in listening to jazz, reading, spending time with family and friends and visiting museums.
To hear more from Cheryl throughout the week, follow along on our Instagram!
Here are Five Things to Remember When Setting Your Own Welcome Table!