With a Thankful Heart

As we enter what we often call the “holiday season,” it is easy to rush through Thanksgiving without recognizing the opportunity to truly have a thankful heart. We asked Truett Seminary student and Collins Hall Resident Chaplain Sara Patterson how the practice of gratitude can draw us closer to God and improve our overall wellbeing.

“A couple years ago I was asked in an interview what the most impactful part of my faith journey had been, how I felt closest to God. And my answer was through gratitude, through realizing all of the things that God has done for me, both in the spiritual, eternal sense and in the tangible day to day,” Patterson says.

When contemplating gratitude, Patterson draws from the Psalms for an authentic experience in expressing thankfulness.

“I think the Psalms can be really helpful both for lamenting and also for giving praise and giving thanks at the same time. I think is important for us to experience all dimensions of the human experience and combat what could be perceived as toxic positivity,” Paterson says.

According to Patterson gratitude, in its simplest form, is an affirmation of the character of God and she recommends some practical and effective ways to give thanks:

• Make a list. Begin the day by writing a gratitude list and referring back to it even when things get hard.
• Notice and give thanks for the small things throughout the day such as the taste of your morning coffee or a beautiful sunrise. Share the things for which you are grateful with others. Verbalizing and expressing gratitude can change your perspective.
• Practice Lectio Divina — a contemplative way to read or recite scripture through repetition taking note of specific words or phrases that are particularly meaningful with each reading or recitation. Patterson recommends starting with Psalm 107.
• Tell others why you are grateful for them. Expressing words of affirmation can be transformative to those affirming and those being affirmed.
• Express gratitude to God through corporate worship where your community shares experiences and discovers that God is good to all and in all our different life circumstances.

As the semester winds down and Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, we hope you will pause from the busyness of day-to-day activities to thank God for the big and small things that bring you joy and to tell those for whom you are grateful how much they mean to you.