Yesterday I read a brief paragraph on what gratitude is meant to be, and it isn’t words trapped in a journal written before the sun rises. I started this with the idea of waking up and reminding myself what is good in life. In some ways this has helped, but with how this year has gone it has morphed between a gratitude journal, a grief journal, and sometimes a morning airing of grievances.
Gratitude isn’t stagnant. It is meant to be an activity. Writing down I am thankful for my family, my church community, or the natural beauty of the world around us does nothing to show gratitude to those people, places, and things.
Some days I feel more like a lump of useless organic matter than a person. One of the problems is I have learned that action isn’t always the best solution. I have struggled against the forces in my life and only worked myself into deeper issues.
Take for instance the impending sale of Maryland Ave. There is nothing to be done to speed it up. Time is the only factor at work here. The best thing to do is to stop worrying. Trust that all these worries will work themselves out. It is like those passages from Luke. If God provides for the birds and the lilies of the field then why wouldn’t he provide for you. Let worries rest.
Today I can’t simply write down what I am grateful for. I need to show it with action. The good news is we have a family outing planned for tomorrow. Summer is wanning and we have to get out. It will be a good opportunity to spend time together, and we can let the worries of tomorrow be the worries of tomorrow while we enjoy the day together.
David Huzzard Writes 