Eucharist: the giving of thanks

I am thankful for my family.

I am thankful for worship music.

I am thankful for our backyard. 

I am thankful for friends who check up on me.

I am thankful for a safe place to sleep. 

Living from a heart of thankfulness is something that I have challenged myself to do the last few years. It is a topic that has been brought into my classroom whenever I teach. It is an activity that we do around the dinner table at home with our young boys. 

Sometimes, the flow of things I’m thankful for, takes a while to come. Sometimes our boys answer us begrudgingly. Sometimes the answers from my students seem so cliche. Sometimes I just don’t feel like being thankful. 

Teaching our own children to have a heart of gratitude has helped me to stop more often and be aware of all the small blessings in my life. 

Because we now do this on a daily basis with our family, it’s often now the boys asking us at the dinner table what we’re thankful for that day. It doesn’t have to be big and extravagant. Sometimes the ‘cliche’ answers are the most heartfelt. 

Listening to my boys giggling while they jump on the trampoline. 

Unexpected flower delivery to brighten my isolation.

Ducklings waddling around foraging in our backyard. 

The joy on kids faces when they go to a birthday party. 

Delicious sweet strawberries from our own strawberry plants.

A few different numbers have been thrown around in regards to how many times something needs to be done to form a habit. However, it’s also been suggested that to form a lasting behavioural change, it takes work and a lot of practice. 

What’s something you’re thankful for? Was it hard to come up with? See if you can find something each day to be thankful for. 

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18