The Quiet Practice of Gratitude

Gratitude is often described as a feeling, but anyone who has tried to feel grateful on a hard day knows how unreliable feelings can be. Scripture speaks of gratitude differently: as something we do. Give thanks, it says — a verb, a practice, a discipline of noticing.

Small and specific

The practice is simplest when it is specific. Not "thankful for everything," but: the steam rising off the tea. The text from a friend. The fact that today, the headache stayed away. Three small things, written down, most days — this is enough to slowly retrain the eyes of your heart.

Gratitude in the hard seasons

Giving thanks is not pretending the hard thing is good. It is believing God is present in it. There is a difference between gratitude for the storm and gratitude for the shelter. Both are honest; one is usually easier to find.

Over time, the practice compounds. A grateful heart becomes a rooted heart — harder to shake, quicker to hope.

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." — 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Stay Rooted,

Heather

LPC, CHC — Founder, Rooted Wellness & Co.