Ever have one of those days, or weeks or years where the last thing you feel is grateful? And if one more person tells you to connect with your gratitude (like I have asked you to do) or count your blessings, you might scream? Sometimes it can feel like the call to gratitude is really a polite way to silence complaint or gloss over pain. I think of the story of Naomi in the book of Ruth – she certainly had her moments of bitterness and complaint. She didn’t always have a grateful heart.
Questions: Is it ever appropriate to not be grateful? How do you respond when someone tries to “improve your mood” by suggesting you focus on practicing gratitude or counting your blessings? Is gratitude something we can practice until we can begin to authentically feel it once more?
Prayer: Spirit of God, move in and through us like a wind that blows away bitterness, ache and disappointment. Rekindle our sense of gratitude when we become disconnected from it and from you. Bless us with genuinely grateful hearts. Amen.
