Bill Dogterom

He was honored
a once in a lifetime moment
to stand before the Lord
bringing the sacrifice

He had carried into that
holy place his own
longings – unspoken to any
but Elizabeth – who shared
them at a deeper level than
even he.

His service was interrupted
by great good news
His prayers were answered!
His longing fulfilled!
His dream come true!

Perhaps long longing made
it impossible to receive
without the incredulous
questioning of an
imperious angel – who
brought something a little
extra. Silence. A long silence.

He could not speak his joy
because he had not spoken
his gratitude.

Joy muted is still joy
but it is not the same

Joy is meant to be shared
sung – laughed – wept

His was kept silent.

He was unable to enter fully
into his joy
His joy

kept out by
silence when
thanksgiving
provided entrance.

Children have to be taught thanksgiving. There are probably some kids who are born grateful but, in my experience, not many. Thanks saying is the first step to learning thanksgiving. It may be an expression behind which there is no real feeling, but you have to start somewhere. And the somewhere at which we start is to acknowledge having received something from someone. That acknowledgement is signaled by a verbal – or otherwise communicated – “thank you.” It would be nice if there was a certain gladness behind the words, but sometimes, in training, you have to go with what you get!

It would be sad, however, if we stopped in our training at just saying the right words. Some attempt must be made to train our children, and ourselves, in gratitude – a genuine and heartfelt appreciation for the gift received. This is a bit more difficult – how do you train a “feeling”?

We can begin to ask God for an understanding of what we have been given – for eyes to see the nature of the world as it would be without gift, without generosity. It is easy for us to assume that we deserve what good comes to us. One of the strategies for moving to gratitude from the heart is to seriously consider, before the Lord, what we are actually entitled to. It would be, I think, a rather short list!

Another step would be to sit for a moment with what we have. So much of life passes by without reflection – we don’t notice what is immediately at hand – we take it for granted. To stop long enough and begin to develop a “Thank List” could help to push us deep enough into our own “gracedness” that we will find gratitude growing.

It will always be helpful to spend some time with truly thankful people. We will take on the characteristics of those with whom we spend time. We can learn gratitude from people who are grateful. It tends to be contagious – we learn to see in new ways. Life itself becomes a gift for which the only response is thanksgiving – from a grateful heart.

When it comes to giving thanks, the behavior can be helpful in training the heart. It is a spiritual discipline – a chosen and right action, which over time, trains us so that we are able to be what we can’t yet naturally be, grateful. The point is, we can train ourselves to give thanks with the hope that we will, one day, be grateful. But, in the meantime, saying thanks is not a bad place to start.

There is enough strength, joy, and grace for each day. No more, no less. Adequacy is God’s chosen pattern.

We demand, and want to define, abundance. God’s response is, “Enough.”

We hear the promise of abundant life – and think “more.” Jesus, who makes the promise, means “other.”

We are greedy for life – reaching, grasping. And in doing so, have nothing.

God is seeking to give us our lives – and does so every day – but our hands are so full with what we grab that we can not receive the life He gives.

Striving to save our lives, to find our lives, we lose our lives. Our constant quest for more leaves us with none. The very little we have is wasted away in the effort and anxiety.

Meanwhile God stands, hands and heart full, ready and willing to give what we most long for. But we have no capacity, so full are we with taking.

We hear – and believe – that nothing will happen to us that we can not handle. But that is not true. We are not built to handle our own lives by ourselves. All kinds of things will happen to us that we can not handle – except with God’s help. It is His way of reminding us that we are built for grander things. But first, we have to receive our own lives.

And so . . . seeking our own lives, we begin with release, with letting go, with surrender. The ancient and still helpful word is relinquishment.

Even in release we begin to give thanks – for the gift of each day, for the events and people of each day, for the promised and real presence of God with us in each day, for the resources of time, talent, energy adequate for each day, for the gentle editing taking place as some fruit is cut off to allow for greater fruitfulness . . . day by day by day.

Then we begin to chose the rhythms of grace that will sustain adequacy. As we do, we will discover that enough is enough. And that is all that is really needed. Thanks be to God.