A heart for gratitude

“Thank you” is an expression of gratitude we use frequently in our daily interactions with others. We may say those words simply out of habit or as a formality when acknowledging a good deed. Or we may use them, either verbally or silently, to express our appreciation for all that we have. 

Psychology websites stress the importance of cultivating gratitude by counting our blessings and being thankful for the good in our life. They suggest that gratitude for even the smallest of things causes physiological changes that benefit not only our mental but also our physical health.

Many times when I have felt sad, dissatisfied, or frustrated, I have made it a point to make a list of things for which I am grateful. However, to me, this is not a psychological exercise. For a Christian Scientist, gratitude is a form of prayer. This kind of prayer doesn’t ask God for what we feel we lack or to make things happen the way we want them to, since God, in His infinite love, already knows our need and is supplying it. The prayer that begins with lack is not one of gratitude. Genuine gratitude acknowledges that divine Love is the source of all good and that everyone not only has access to it but is worthy of it as God’s child.