Susan's Musings: Gratefulness and the Fullness of Grace

Whenever, with the help of grace, we become more positive than negative, we move from downswings of depression, cynicism, disbelief, and outright distrust of God to upswings of joy, mutual love, renewed faith, and lasting hope. Gratefulness repairs the negative tears in the fabric of our body, mind, and spirit and reminds us to give thanks in all circumstances (see 1 Thess 5:8).

Grateful living enhances our attentiveness to signs of distress, anxiety, discontent, and grumbling. Not only is it good for our health; it is our best protection from sinking into the swamp of depreciation and despondency.

Rather than overlooking the here-and-now goodness of people, events, and things, ourselves, included, we foster the attitude of gratitude by saying a “thank you” prayer to the Lord. The minute we utter this phrase, we feel an urge to complete it and to find something in our life, no matter how minute, for which we can be truly grateful.

For example, as persons who are growing older by the minute, we may say to the Lord:

• Thank you for the life you have given me. Please convey its many blessings to others less fortunate than I.

• Thank you for the gifts of eating and sleeping, for the shelter of my home, and the beauty of my garden. Please give a few of these good gifts to those who are homeless, without shelter, or any refuge of beauty.

• Thank you for the faith, hope, and love you have implanted in my heart.

• Thank you that I may endure patiently whatever crosses you may ask me to bear.

• Thank you for letting me find solace in the boundless mercy you have shown to poor sinners in need of redemption.
  

The list of things for which we can give thanks is endless. Once we offer this “Thank you” prayer on a regular basis, we may experience a new sense of peace and joy despite the times we have been inclined to look only at the unpleasant side of life.

Here are six steps that facilitate our grown in the art and discipline of growing in gratitude:

The first is to catch the initial signs of ingratitude and stop their escalation, lest it impair our physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual stamina. The joylessness that accompanies ingratitude can tempt us to satisfy our feelings of emptiness, for example, with excessive food and drink. We cannot anesthetize an ungrateful heart; we have to ask God for the grace to convert it totally.

The second is to let the will to be grateful heighten our awareness of undue stress, useless worry, and anxious discontent. We need to examine why even occasional signs of progress do not evoke much, if any, joy. We ought also to be wary of a penchant toward “negative identity,” that is to say, identifying only with what someone has not said and specializing in a fault-finding mentality. There is a direct line from crabbiness and irritability to our becoming short-tempered and impatient with everybody.

The third is to practice as often as possible the aforementioned discipline of saying a “thank you prayer.” Thank God for everything—from waking up in the morning to falling asleep at night. Bathe the day, as it were, in the holy water of thankfulness. Cut off with a “thank you prayer” the thanklessness we may feel when something does not go as we would have liked.

The fourth calls for the courage to redirect a bad mood caused by frustration, disillusionment, suspicion, and neglect of prayer to its opposite disposition: Compassion for the human condition, more reliance on God, more trust, and more commitment to our life of prayer and devotion.

The fifth is to widen our vision to include renewed appreciation for God’s first revelation in creation. If we feel unthankful, why not stop what we are doing and take a walk. Let’s give ourselves time to behold the beauty of the world around us. Let the flight of a bird release our soul from its burdens and evoke gratitude to the Creator of all that is. Be thankful to see the sun after a few days of rain!

The sixth is to walk humbly in the truth of who we are, knowing that we will never be able to penetrate the mind and mystery of God. This humble awareness leads to our becoming less self-centered and more mystery-centered. One of the greatest favors we can bestow on others is to assure them that no pit of despair is so deep that we cannot climb out of it with the Lord’s help.

At such a moment our heart may feel like a veritable battlefield, but what used to breed negativity may now serve to reinforce a more positive outlook.

As we read in Philippians 4:4-7: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry 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 minds in Christ Jesus.”