The Power of Gratitude in Challenging Times
Gratefulness is the key to joy
Brother David Steindl-Rast
Holidays are times of celebration and gathering with family and friends. At this time in our world, when social distancing is recommended, we need to find ways to celebrate while keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe.
For many of us, this means giving up the comfort and joy of family gatherings. It turns our holiday expectations upside down. We feel a sense of loss.
So how do we support ourselves and our loved ones thorough this unusual holiday season?
As in every situation in our lives, what we focus on determines our experience. If we continue to think about what we can’t change, we can become overwhelmed by sadness.
This is an opportunity to nurture ourselves – to be at peace with what we have, and even to find joy, in this unexpected time.
Our first step is to stop resisting what we cannot change. That means not thinking about it, not letting our regret of what we have lost determine how we feel.
Then, we need to replace those thoughts with others that support us and help us to get back to a place of inner peace.
Gratitude is the Key
We all have so many things in our lives that we take for granted.
This morning, I read a FaceBook post from a friend, Amy Cantrell, who has spent most of her adult life working to provide help and support for our homeless neighbors. She was out the other night doing street outreach - taking insulated tents, sleeping bags and warming supplies to people living on the street or in open spaces around Asheville.
She met a man on the street with all of his belongings in a grocery cart.
“Imagine picking from your life, from all your special things only what will fit in the basket. Imagine you are ushered from your home. You are homeless on the streets now.
“Your cart is now a lifesaver, always with you. In the basket, your coat, sleeping bag, a few clothes and toiletries. If you are lucky, you may have some old family photos that you must desperately protect against rain and snow.”
Her words, as usual, went right to my heart. Sadness welled up in me, thinking of all our brothers and sisters without homes, then gratitude followed, as I considered the many blessings in our lives.
I thought about all the comforts of our life – a warm home with running hot and cold water, electricity, comfortable furniture, wifi, and the many amenities that add comfort to our daily life.
I thought about our family, with whom we won’t spend Christmas or family birthdays this year, but who are a part of our lives, with love and genuine caring.
I said a prayer of gratitude for the blessings of our life.
Larry and I talked about our kinship with the homeless folks living among us and we said a prayer for their safety and protection. But there is so much more that we can do – need to do – to address this failure in our society.
We can make a difference.
Until we create a solution, the least we can do is to support organizations that are providing support now.
Several churches in Asheville provide food and clothing. Others also do outreach to take needed supplies for those living on the street or in open areas around town. If you would like to support their efforts, here are some of the organizations distributing life-supporting supplies to people living outside during these cold nights:
If you are not in this area, it is easy to find the organizations in your community providing these services.
Let’s celebrate this season by focusing on gratitude for our many blessings.
Then let’s allow our gratitude to overflow by sharing what we have with those whose lives are more challenged than ours. A gift of any size will make a difference in someone’s life, and in yours.
Now that’s a celebration of the season, and a way to bring joy into our holiday.
What are your thoughts? Please share a comment below.
Help us spread the message of kindness.
If you know others who might appreciate these ideas, please share below.
We’re grateful that you are on this journey with us.
With love from our hearts to yours,
Pat and Larry
