The magical elixir.

Poor me,

Poor me,

Pour me . . . another drink!

An AA Refrain

One of the things I love most about the church I attend every morning I’m able is the valuable truth passed along through seemingly simple expressions. We gather like travelers huddled around a table gazing down at a map as we prepare for another day’s trek. Experienced travelers pass along what they’ve learned about the terrain, while novices ask all sorts of questions. There’s great wisdom around the table, wisdom that’s come at a great cost, and it’s often disguised in short expressions - Let go and let God, One day at a time, Fake it ‘till you make it, I’m not much but I’m all I think about, Do the next right thing.

Early in my travels, when I was surrounded by darkness and feasting on guilt and shame, someone taught me the importance of gratitude. I was at one of my lowest points, and he made me write a gratitude list. 

“You’ve got to be kidding,” I protested.

“No,” he replied like the wise sage he was. “Write 25 things for which you’re grateful, and don’t just say ‘my kids.’ Be specific!” 

I complied and proudly brought the list to him, only to be told to go add another 25. It took work, but, in the end, I learned how therapeutic gratitude can be. 

Gratitude fills one’s heart, pushing fear and sadness, insecurity and greed, guilt and shame to the curb. It brings new life and allows our souls to breath. It empowers us to look up and see beyond our small world – to our neighbors, our country, and world. Wallowing in sadness causes us to look down and focus only on ourselves. Like the saying above, if we find ourselves in a pity-party, a drink (which, for us, is death) begins to look dangerously appealing. 

I wanted to share the power of gratitude with you given all that is going on around us. In no way am I discounting the hardship and the brutal realities that face us each day, but I’m suggesting there are still many things for which to be grateful. Writing a (specific) list of 25 things will work wonders and allow our souls to breath. If we go and write an additional 25, who knows, we might find ourselves looking up and seeing the struggles of others with a more compassionate heart and generous spirit.