Posted January 24, 2025
I started truly practicing gratefulness only a couple years ago, when I was going through a very dark time of doubt and, to be perfectly honest, spiritual turmoil as I wrestled with everything I believed about God. I was having a serious crisis of faith and was stressed out of my mind. The couple who walked with me through it – welcoming me in their home week after week, patiently answering my relentless questions, and discipling me through some of the hardest months of my life – are the ones who initially suggested I take up the practice of writing down three things I was thankful for each day. It could be as big or as small as I wanted; the point was simply to be intentional about thanking God for several things every day. I still do it today, and as hard as the practice was at first it has become much easier.
Practicing gratitude doesn’t just have to do with our faith though – it has a huge impact on our mental health as well. Noticing and appreciating the positive things in life can be powerful in breaking negative thought patterns and can even be a helpful practice when it comes to coping with depression.
And practicing gratitude doesn’t take much time. Even just setting aside five minutes each morning or evening is plenty of time to give it a little thought and write down some things that you think of. But I know firsthand how difficult it can be at times. When I first started it, sometimes I would have so much trouble thinking of things, especially on the days that were really hard. Sometimes I really could not think of much that felt worth writing down when depression was particularly bad.
But it can be anything in life that you appreciate. If it feels too small – especially if it feels too small – I think it’s important to write it down anyway. “We pray for the big things,” wrote Deitrich Bonhoeffer in his book Life Together, “and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet not so small) gifts.” Maybe I just put clean sheets on the bed – clean sheets are worth being grateful for. Or maybe I walked the dog today – fresh air, good shoes, nice weather, and my dog are all definitely worth being grateful for. Things like running water, toilets, plenty of food, and other basic everyday comforts of life are things we take for granted every day but are totally worth noticing and appreciating more than we do.
Changing the way we look at things is essential. I have found that when I am checking out at the grocery store and start to feel like complaining about how expensive everything is, it’s actually an opportunity to practice gratefulness for the fact that I have the money to buy groceries in the first place. When I’m on my way home from a long work day and feel like complaining about how exhausted I feel, it’s an opportunity to practice gratefulness for having a healthy body: legs that can walk and hands that can work. The opportunities are everywhere if we just start to change the way we see things.
Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts, writes, “The practice of giving thanks…eucharisteo…this is the way we practice the presence of God, stay present to His presence, and it is always a practice of the eyes. We don’t have to change what we see. Only the way we see… Joy is a function of gratitude, and gratitude is a function of perspective. You only begin to change your life when you begin to change the way you see.”
the fire journey 