Day 327.

Monday, November 23, 2009.

This is the week of gratitude throughout the nation. It's funny to hear and read everyone focusing on thankfulness and gratitude all of a sudden when I feel like I've been in this gratitude mode for eleven months. It feels like a secret I've been keeping that has now gone public.

I recently was asked to write an article in my church newsletter on gratitude, related to my blog, and just in time for this holiday of thankfulness.

I am grateful for public outlets to share my thoughts on gratitude.

I'll post the article here to share (although I'm not sure if it's technically been published yet!).

Being Accountable for Gratitude

I have never been very good at spiritual disciplines. I do about two weeks of a devotional book before I fall off the cart. I buy a new Bible thinking it will inspire me to set aside a daily time to read…then I fall short of my expectations. I have always longed to grow closer to God through these disciplines…I just could never implement them.

On January 1st, 2009, One Mom’s Year of Gratitude was born. I committed myself to gratitude for the whole year, and I embarked on my journey. It started without a lot of thought and to be honest, it had nothing to do with spiritual discipline. I wasn’t really sure why I did it. At the time I think it had more to do about parenting, trying to stay in the present and not worrying about tomorrow. But now that only about 40 days of gratitude are left in 2009, I am in awe of what this blog has become, both for me, and others.

This past year at church has been really hard for me. Being on the Ministry Team in a time of such conflict and decision-making has pushed me way beyond my comfort zone. But I also have seen this year as one of deep growth. I have spent the year focusing on gratitude when there were many days I felt like I had nothing to be grateful for. The ritual of sitting at my computer every single night and having to find something to blog about every single night has been transformative.

With my blog, I knew people were checking it (even if it was only my mom and sister the first month!) I knew I had made a public commitment to gratitude, and I did not want to fail. I guess that’s the kind of spiritual discipline I need – one that holds you accountable and walks alongside you.

What have I learned from focusing this year on gratitude? I could write much more than I have room for here. But I think if I sum up what I have learned with one word it has to be about “grace.” To have daily gratitude you have to understand grace. Grace given to you by a postal employee, your own children, and even yourself. Grace coming from God, but manifested in other people…even myself.

2 Corinthians 4:15: “It is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.”