“If the only prayer you prayed in your whole life was thank you, that would suffice.” Meister Eckhart
My grandmother would sing an old hymn called Count Your Blessings. The past three months have been a tough time. I was sick with several respiratory infections and a sinus infection. A chest x-ray indicated that I have an enlarged heart. (The EKG conducted two weeks ago indicated that I don’t have an enlarged heart.) Fear skyrocketed, but self-pity did not. I refused to let it come in. Pity party table of one was not for me.
I knew if I indulged in self-pity, I would only feel worse. When I felt overwhelmed, I would grab my journal and write about the meaning I could find in my suffering. After two months of being sick, I write this down:
For two months, I have been too sick to meditate or do centering prayer, but life now is my great spiritual practice. I look at myself and see the good. I also see the after-effects of trauma. I offer it all up to God. My life is my prayer. I accept this trial with radical acceptance.
Looking for the lessons I needed to learn during an extended illness caused me to practice gratitude. We usually think of practicing gratitude as simply listing our blessings, which is good. However, when your circumstances are far from ideal, writing down what you learn from the hard times is a form of gratitude. It keeps your heart lighter and your mind more focused on the present moment. That’s not an easy feat when times are tough.
Gratitude is an attitude we can cultivate. A pastor once said that life is only 10 percent circumstances and 90 percent attitude. Our attitude probably will not change the tough times, but it will change us as we go through the trials of life. There is suffering that we can’t avoid, such as illness. There is also suffering that we can avoid. It is the suffering we create in our minds. A pity party in tough circumstances is a good example.
The Mental Health Benefits of Gratitude
Gratitude benefits our mental health. A meta-analysis found studies show a “ substantial association between gratitude and depression.” Researchers studied the effects of gratitude writing on 239 psychotherapy clients. They found that after four weeks, participants who wrote down their gratitude reported having “significantly better health.”
In another study, researchers looked at the impacts of a six-week gratitude intervention for people with low to moderate depression and anxiety. A total of 217 Dutch adults participated. Researchers found that the gratitude intervention was more effective than the self-kindness intervention in improving mental well-being.
Gratitude changes the brain. Researchers had participants practice gratitude while they underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Gratitude correlated with brain activity in two brain regions: the anterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex. The anterior cingulate cortex controls cognitive processes such as decision-making. The medial prefrontal cortex also plays a role in cognitive processes, including motivation.
The Spiritual of Gratitude
In the Bible, gratitude plays a key role. The Apostle Paul, in particular, wrote much about being thankful. Paul writes in his letter to the church in Ephesus that they should be “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:20) Here are a few more examples from Paul’s letters:
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17
“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 4:2
There are many Psalms about gratitude. Here’s a sampling:
“I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.” Psalm 7:17
“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1
“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” Psalms 95:1-3
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!” Psalm 100:4
“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” Psalm 107:1
But what are the spiritual benefits of gratitude? In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul lays them out:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
By thanking God for our many blessings, He fills us with peace, a peace that is beyond human comprehension. That peace guards our hearts and minds against discouragement and despondency. It is often hard to remember the little blessings in our lives when we face a difficult situation, but doing so will help us make it through.
Cultivating An Attitude of Gratitude
If we cultivate gratitude during easier times, we will remember to practice it when times are tough. Remember that I mentioned listing your blessings? That is a good place to start. Every day, write down one thing that you are grateful for and think for a moment about why you are grateful for it. Do this daily, and you will find that you have an attitude of gratitude.
Remember what I wrote about finding the lessons in the tough times? When you experience a difficult situation, look for what you can learn from it. Write down any lessons you learn from the situation. You will find the pity party stops, and you stop fighting the situation with thoughts such as, “Why me?” You cultivate gratitude when you switch from resisting the situation to looking for its lessons.
During May, I will write about the themes in the book, Sifting Through the Ashes: Finding Beauty, Peace, Love, and Strength Through Trauma by therapists, Darla Gale and Alice Rodriguez. The book is free if you have Kindle Unlimited. If you are interested in taking part in a book group that discusses it, message me.
Resources
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