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| A Lower School Student's Thanksgiving List - 2013 |
As the Thanksgiving Holiday approaches, I am thinking about the story from the Gospel According to Luke in which Jesus cleanses the ten lepers (Luke 17: 11-19). From a distance, a group of lepers calls out to Jesus asking for mercy. Jesus sees them and says, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” On their way all ten are made clean, but only one returns to Jesus to give thanks. While all ten are cleared of their disease, only one….the one who returns to give thanks… is made whole in body, mind, and spirit. The story reminds me that gratefulness is something we are called to practice. Even when we have what we need and get what we want, or not, something is missing in our lives if we do not take stock of our blessings and appreciate God’s grace even in the small, ordinary things.
When we don’t take the time to be thankful, perhaps the “something” that is missing is joy. Brené Brown defines joy as a spiritual way of engaging with the world that is connected to practicing gratitude. Her research underscores the value of teaching our children to practice thanksgiving…and, of course, the most effective way we can do this is to model it ourselves. One fairly common way to practice thanksgiving is to keep a gratitude journal. Sharing round robin style works well at the family dinner table. I want to be more mindful of the blessings in my life and to engage my world more joyfully. Don't you want that too?
Please note the following calendar items for Trinity Episcopal School this holiday season:
