Summers are hard in the Sonoran Desert. About this time of year, I am worn out and truly tired of the heat! So, prompted by the Spirit, I was reminded of a simple, yet powerful mindfulness activity: find three things a day that you are grateful for and write them down. I committed to making a mental note every evening before bed just to see what would happen.
I confess that it took a little effort at first. Honestly, I struggled to come up with things that were positive. But begrudgingly, I started noticing the good things: I was glad for a good meal, good traffic when I had to drive across Phoenix was a blessing, and a cactus with the strength to bloom in this infernal heat, etc.
Slowly, after a few weeks, things changed. I had trouble limiting it to just three things.
The odd blessing? My days seemed to overflow with gratitude. What’s more, the simple gratitudes seemed to grow richer and gain importance. The sunrise on the way to work took on glory. The touch of my wife’s hand against mine was layered with memories and meaning. The air after a rain, fragrant with the smell of earth, was sweeter. I started to notice the brilliance of grace between all the shadows.
As I looked for blessings rather than curses, my heart became attuned to God all around. I was inundated and overwhelmed, humbled to experience such grace.
Things shifted most distinctly for me when I considered gratitude as a practice rather than a feeling. It requires regular work, but the cultivation of gratitude allows our souls to unfurl — like the petals on that cactus flower — toward our God. Blessedly, this is not something we do alone. The anointing of the Spirit, who co-mingles with our willingness, enables us to look at the world in a different way. And it blesses me every day.
Shalom, Paul