Practical Gratitude-(05/06/2020)

By: Barbara Suruga

Practicals for Growing in Your Gratitude

Celebrate communion or the Eucharist every week and reflect on it throughout the week. This will ground us in grace and help us practice the presence of God. In that security, we can choose gratitude even in the hard, lonely, unfair, and scary situations with the understanding that these challenges refine our faith as we trust in and draw strength from God.
Meditate now and every day on His sovereignty, faithfulness and grace to prepare you for future situations when it is hard to be grateful (or to get over the hump of an ingratitude day.
Say ‘thank you’ throughout the day to God and others.
Sing songs of thanks and praise to God.
Keep a list of prayer requests and check off your answered prayers.
Make a list of things you are grateful for and add to it daily. Mine has everything from the unfathomable (God’s love, the Cross and the Resurrection) to “Wow” (the universe, the human body, nature) to the mundane (washing machines, WhiteOut, cars and telephones).
When you find yourself complaining or being judgmental, take your thoughts captive and think good thoughts about the situation or person. This has been really helpful for me. When I catch myself thinking critical or negative thoughts about someone, I take them captive and remind myself what about that person I love or that God loves.
Choosing gratitude in difficult situations requires prayer, effort and intentionality. We have to direct our thoughts to his grace, goodness and blessings. It’s not easy, so don’t beat yourself up when you mess up. God’s grace has got you covered.
Ask yourself, “If tomorrow’s supply depended on today’s thanksgiving, how much would I have tomorrow?”
Every day for the next month, read and meditate on a Psalm that makes you grateful for all that God is and does.
Decide that GOD IS ENOUGH. Psalm 73:25, “Whom have I in Heaven but you. And earth has nothing I desire but you.” A heart sustained by God is grateful and content.
Remember that Eucharist means thanksgiving. Thank God for his love expressed on the Cross and his power displayed in the Resurrection.