Gratitude.
This week at Neighbors, we’ve been talking about gratitude. What does gratitude actually do? How can we have gratitude for the good things in our lives without ignoring the pain, injustice, and suffering that still exists?
Gratitude can be confusing to practice if you are being told that you don’t have to deny pain. How can that work? What if we didn’t practice gratitude to minimize pain, but instead as a reminder that pain and suffering do not have the last word in our lives?
In the Bible, Jesus models again and again how to practice gratitude in the midst of suffering, frustration, and even dire circumstances.
In Mark 6, Jesus and his disciples are confronted with 5,000 hungry people. They are desperate for food and Jesus and his friends only have five loaves and two fish to feed them. Jesus looks to Heaven and gives thanks for the small amount of food they have been given, even when this seems ridiculous to his friends. Then they watched the food multiply and nourish the hungry people.
In his last meal with his disciples before he was killed, knowing he is being betrayed by some of his dearest friends, Jesus chooses to show gratitude to them. Jesus shares a meal with them, washes their feet, and blesses them.
And Jesus reminds us in John 16, among other passages, to “take heart, despite the trouble we will face”. He says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Jesus shows us how to live in the present. How to thank God and others for the good things in our lives, even when it can feel impossibly hard or even ridiculous. How we can practice finding good things within ourselves, each other, and God.
So, here are 3 practical ways you could practice showing gratitude, all including writing.
1. Write yourself a letter. You could give it to a Neighbors Mentor and have them mail it to you in a few months (which is what we did on Monday night), or you could put in a place, like your bedside table where you can go back to it when you need to. Here’s some ideas for a letter of gratitude to yourself:
Make a list of things you are grateful for in your life right now.
What is something you are grateful to have today that you didn’t have a year ago?
Write about a memory that reminds you of the good things in life that you want to remember.
What is something you are proud of? Show gratitude for how far you have come.
Write a letter of encouragement to yourself, a reminder to hold onto hope even when pain, suffering, and injustice exist.
2. Write a letter, email, or note of gratitude to someone else. This can be anyone - a friend, immediate family member, extended family member, teacher, and so on. Here’s some ideas for a letter of gratitude to someone else:
Why are you grateful for them? Share a memory where they made a difference in your life.
What is something you appreciate about them?
How have they encouraged you to hold onto hope and gratitude.
3. Practice making gratitude lists. Grab a journal, your notes app, start a streak with a friend, and make a list. Maybe you write down 3 things a day that are big or small that you are grateful for. Maybe 10 things a week. Practice pausing and taking note of the good things, then sharing them with yourself or others.