How to Practice Gratitude Everyday
There is Always a Harvest:
Lately, Jesus has been trying to cultivate a spirit of gratefulness in me, specifically using produce to do so. My husband has a talent for growing an abundance of fruits and vegetables. He has magically transformed our backyard into a mini farm, in which our children are constantly given lessons in horticulture. Many times I have sent them out squeaky clean only to have them return within the hour covered in dirt. They return yielding peppers, tomatoes and zucchinis twice their size. And every time I am amazed by the harvest, surprised, even.
Gratefulness is a Daily Thing:
Furthermore , here is where the valuable lesson lies. As flawed people we treat gratefulness as though it is one of the natural seasons. Summer, Winter, Spring, Fall, and Gratefulness. Then, each one serves its time and leaves when it is supposed to. But if we retrain ourselves to look more closely at our everyday lives, we will see that there is much to be grateful for, everyday. Even when things are heavy, tiring or life shattering. There is always a harvest.
A Page From my Own Book:
Allow me to illustrate this idea using a page from my own life. Here At this time, my husband and I finally decided to replace the carpet and flooring on the main level of the house. Our carpet had been ravaged by overturned sippy cups and frequent, after meal spit ups courtesy of Alastair. In fact, he thought he was Jackson Pollock and the carpet, his canvas. Off we ventured into productively ripping out the carpet and prying up floorboards with crowbars. Simultaneously, the kitchen sink was being replaced with a farm sink big enough to wash the children in.
Admittedly, there we were with our own agenda, ticking off the boxes as we chugged along. Everything was fine until it wasn’t . It was chaos. Our project halted to a stop, leaving plywood flooring with nails needing extraction, and no kitchen sink which resulted in an explosion of mess. And on top of that we had two very sick little kiddos, with multiple blisters that needed tending to.
Hand Foot and Mouth Comes to Visit:
You see the harvest was plentiful but I was blinded by the temporary illness of my children and the disarray of my house. The stress of not knowing what to do as a mom wore on me. How could I be grateful when the yield was covered in discontentment and countless blisters?
The Harvest Was Great But I Couldn’t See It.
Undoubtedly, new flooring is a luxury, in normal circumstances I would have danced across every plank. The harvest was great, but I couldn’t see it. My kids were sick but I was given insight into what was ailing them. I had access to sweet nurses 24/7 who helped me arrive at a diagnosis:Hand Foot and Mouth disease, NOT COVID. And a medicine cabinet brimming with things that would alleviate their pain. The harvest was great, but I couldn’t see it. During the sleepless nights I had the luxury of holding my kids and comforting them here in our home. The harvest was great, but I couldn’t see it. A new sink was installed so that I can continue to bake, cook and clean for my family. We have access to clean running water on demand. The harvest was great, but I couldn’t see it. I remained healthy for the next ten days, and my children’s blisters and ailments slowly faded away.The harvest was great, but I couldn’t see it.
Ungratfulness, Steels Joy:
Lastly, when we find ourselves in a place of ungratefulness, discontentment and comparisons seek their way into our perspectives. Lysa TerKeurst is one of my favorite authors and she suggests that gratefulness is a pathway to peace. And I think she’s onto something. So here are four things you can do to practice gratitude on a daily basis.
Four Simple Steps to Practice Gratitude:
- Expect a harvest everyday, look for things to be grateful for. The sun, the breath you breathe, the glass of water you sip in the mornings.
- Write down what you are grateful for, you can use a jar, a sticky note, or a whiteboard in your office.
- Text the people you hold dear and tell them why you are grateful for them.
- Ask God to give eyes to see the bounty of each day.
Also, a gratitude journaling, like the one below is an uplifting and healthy daily practice, it is amazing how it changes your perspective throughout the day. The Harvest is Great, don’t miss it.
-Patience
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