“With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the Lord; and in the midst of many I will praise Him” (Psalm 109:30 NRSV).
This is a busy week. I am on Thanksgiving break from work, but there does not seem to be a lot of time to actually relax. Somehow I thought it would be a good idea for my students’ research papers to be due this past Monday, so I would have the entire break to grade them. While, it is good for my students, as they won’t have a major paper hanging over their heads during their break, I have an enormous amount of grading to do. Of course, there is the Thanksgiving meal to prepare and cook as well. I’ve lost count of how many trips I have made to the grocery store, and today I realized that I need to stop yet again.
Despite the busyness, it is important to devote time, not only this week, but every week, to reflect on all the things for which we are thankful. This reflection will lead to a posture of gratitude, which is important. Often when we reflect on our previous day, the things that stand out are things that have irritated us, or inconvenienced us. Yet, if we intentionally seek to go through our day, moment-by-moment, seeking things for which we are thankful, it will foster an attitude of gratitude. There are so many things throughout our day, if we are intentional in noticing them, which can remind us of why we are thankful. We need to make a practice of reflecting on the things, the people, and the relationships in our lives for which we are grateful. There will always be trying situations and there will always be a list of things we need to get done that will attempt to rob and distract us from the joy that is ours daily, but developing a practice of seeking gratitude in every moment of our day will help us to more fully experience a thankful and grateful heart that will abundantly give thanks to the Lord.