Gratitude - 4
The second topic at the workshop on Gratitude was "Gratitude Grounded". The main idea was that gratitude has a depth that allows it to be present in all circumstances. The following is from my notes.
Living a life of gratitude does not mean living a life of happiness. Gratitude is deeper than happiness. We often mistake happiness for gratitude and vice versa. We believe we are not full of gratitude if we are not full of happiness. The character of Pollyanna would show us the happiness side of things. The person of Anna, waiting in the temple and eventually recognizing the infant Jesus, shows us gratitude. Widowed while still young, she had lived in the temple until she was old, living a life of worship and praise in spite of her losses. In the crowds at the temple, only she and Simeon recognized this holy child.
Ordinary happiness depends on what is happening to me. Joy is extra-ordinary happiness, which is independent of what happens to us. The root of joy is gratefulness.
We notice that joyful people are grateful and assume that the gratitude comes from the joy. That is false. It is the choice to be grateful that causes the joy. We can't wait for happiness to be grateful.
We must bask in the now. We must find gratitude now. Gratitude lasts long after happiness is gone.
Happiness isn't enough.
But don't scorn happiness. Relish it. We don't cling to it, but we also don't disdain it even though we know it is temporary. Instead we enjoy it fully while it lasts and release it as it leaves.
Gratitude is dependent upon what God has given us---Deep reconciliation in spite of our mistakes. Unconditional love. Reason to live. Reason to die. Wholeness.
Things I am grateful for today:
Living a life of gratitude does not mean living a life of happiness. Gratitude is deeper than happiness. We often mistake happiness for gratitude and vice versa. We believe we are not full of gratitude if we are not full of happiness. The character of Pollyanna would show us the happiness side of things. The person of Anna, waiting in the temple and eventually recognizing the infant Jesus, shows us gratitude. Widowed while still young, she had lived in the temple until she was old, living a life of worship and praise in spite of her losses. In the crowds at the temple, only she and Simeon recognized this holy child.
Ordinary happiness depends on what is happening to me. Joy is extra-ordinary happiness, which is independent of what happens to us. The root of joy is gratefulness.
We notice that joyful people are grateful and assume that the gratitude comes from the joy. That is false. It is the choice to be grateful that causes the joy. We can't wait for happiness to be grateful.
We must bask in the now. We must find gratitude now. Gratitude lasts long after happiness is gone.
Happiness isn't enough.
But don't scorn happiness. Relish it. We don't cling to it, but we also don't disdain it even though we know it is temporary. Instead we enjoy it fully while it lasts and release it as it leaves.
Gratitude is dependent upon what God has given us---Deep reconciliation in spite of our mistakes. Unconditional love. Reason to live. Reason to die. Wholeness.
Things I am grateful for today:
- Corn beginning to sprout in the garden
- Chuck reminding me it was time for sunset, and the sun was just at the horizon, clear and red, with no wind. We watched it touch the horizon and then sink until it was just a sliver, and then gone.
- A small amount of time to do a writing exercise.
- Financial grace---I haven't downloaded our bank records into our financial accounting program for quite a while. I thought it was going to be too late to get it all without doing some hand entering of data. I found a way to get it all to import by setting date ranges a little bit differently than I usually do. Yay!
- Ben stayed at work later than expected because of glitches with loading hogs, even though he has big plans for tomorrow and needed to prepare.
- Time to talk with Wes. (bonus gratitude)
Comments
1. Enjoying pizza and ice cream outside with friends.
2. Plans for my weekend and only one more work day standing between us.
3. Joseph coming home early from hanging out with friends so that our sleep schedules could overlap for a few hours.
4. Fresh squishy bread for my weekly guilty pleasure PB&J.
5. Sooo many strawberry blooms, promising strawberries from my garden.