Gratitude Journey

     Plenty. My life demonstrates one filled with abundant blessings. My Pepsi One can overflows. And I'm not talking about my tendency to spill.

     On Thanksgiving, I want to direct my gratitude upward, beyond the textbook stories of harmony and peacemaking between the Native American tribes and the pilgrims, beyond the beginning of a nation that has generally blessed me, but hurt others. I want to direct my gratitude above the human-created ideals. To the Maker of the Universe, the Lord of my life.
     In his sovereignty, God could have made me the same person from the start, and placed me in an entirely different situation. But He didn't. He put me in this life, rich with friends and necessities covered, and in a safe neighborhood. He gave me a husband that worships Him, and us three healthy, precious children. He is the God of grace beyond comprehension.
     In her book, Radical Gratitude, Ellen Vaughn, explores countless stories about people who remain thankful, or find thankfulness again, through and after sudden family deaths, captivity, persecution, rape – and everyday life.

As a great friend of ours has said, a thankful heart gives a greater sensitivity to beauties both divine and mundane. He often finds himself sitting still in the moment and looking at what's around him, processing it all with different gradations of appreciation, but using the same word throughout: “Oh, Lord! I love my family. I love my house. I love the sky. I love this cup of coffee. I love You! Thank You!”

That's not only gratitude, and love, and worship. It's called joy. Radical Gratitude, pg. 205

     Granted, it's not always easy. But I believe to start the habit, I can record thankful thoughts in a gratitude journal, and when complacency, tragedy and difficulty enter, perhaps I can find thankfulness anyway. I do keep a gratitude journal, irregularly, and it is a good practice.
     Vaughn relays a truth, though, that Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, emphasized to her. Gratitude is not at all a spiritual discipline, it is, in fact, the response of a believer to the Spirit's work. In turn, Vaughn says, if grace is the gift of God (which it is), so too is the gratitude that grace creates. I want both. Please, in Jesus' Name, Lord, give me an overflowing of both.
     In my life, I've experienced loss of friends and family. Disappointment about goals and prayers God has answered, “No,” or “Not yet.” Frustration with myself and others. Anger about injustice. Wounds. Grief. (And I confess to dishing out these, too.)

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thess. 5:16-18

     Lord, That's a tall order. I can't do that without You doing it in me. Please, please help. I know if you give me a heart of gratitude, you'll also be giving me a heart full of joy. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Helene's Thanksgiving '10 Gratitude List, Abbreviated
A phone call this week from a friend who I had not spoken with for about 10 years. For younger church friends who let me cuddle their babies, and get my fix. My women's and couples' small group friends. Children's ministry at my church. Sisters. Family. Great tunes that bring back fun memories of high school. Pepsi One. Chai. Laughter. . . .



©Helene Bergren. All Rights Reserved. 

Gratitude Graphic

From Gratitude Graphic ©Helene Bergren. All Rights Reserved.

Thank You, Lord, for . . .

Ta-Da! My last post in the series about gratitude. I spent four hours last night making a very cool Adobe Illustrator file with stars and different-colored fonts of this non-exhaustive list of what I am thankful for. But, in none of the file versions I tried does the text show up readable enough in Blogger. Sigh. Maybe I'll make a homemade T-shirt with it or print it and have it framed. Yay, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of my non-technical side, I shall rejoice and be glad in this Friday. Blessings in Christ to you. Read on and see how abundantly blessed I am. It's a mix of the serious and light-hearted, generally in no particular order. I highly recommend this exercise of listing what brings praise and thanks to God into your heart. Enjoy.

Father Son Holy Spirit. Salvation in Jesus! My husband. Jessica. Daphne. David. The Family I grew up in. Baby feet. Baby hands. Baby smiles and giggles. Worship time at The Ridge. Hearing from my home the sound of children playing at recess on the school playground a few blocks away. The gift of life.

Indoor plumbing. Electricity. My faith. Modern medicine. My sponsor son, Jorge`. God as Savior, Healer, Provider, Leader, Counselor, Maker. His presence. My sisters. Plentiful food sources in America. My parents. The wisdom of earlier generations. Rainbows. Snuggling with hubby and children. Jokes my children make up. Artwork my children create.

Rumba panties on little girls. Little girls in black patent shoes. Tractor sounds little boys make when they play farm. The generally loud energy of little boys. Being home with my children for 12 years and counting. Umbrellas. The Bible. My spiritual gifts. Nehemiah’s example. Thunder and lightning. Mozart. Bach. Beethoven. Mancini. Casting Crowns. Newsboys. Rebecca St. James. Lilies of many colors. Milk. Roses. Daffodils. My parents’ farm. Growing up on a farm and in the country. Small group friends. Childhood friends. Electricity and running water. Cousins, dozens, and dozens!

The fruit of the Spirit in my life, and in the lives of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Aunties and Uncles. My husband’s fix-it abilities – car, house, computers. Sleepovers as a child, and hosting them for my children today. Strawberries and memories of Grandma’s strawberry patch. Being born on Granddad’s birthday, and Jessica being born on Grandma and Granddad’s wedding anniversary. Daphne coming home from the hospital on her dad’s birthday two days after her birth. David’s birthday so close to one of my sister’s. Enjoying (mostly) the miracle of three full-term pregnancies. Sunrises and sunsets. Jesus’ bodily resurrection.

Experiencing time on the Pacific and the Atlantic. Mission trips to the Navajo Nation and the border of Mexico. God’s pure wisdom. My health. Mercy & Grace. Swingsets. Nieces and nephews. Godly examples to follow in my church and circle of friends. Grandpa Fred. Piano lessons from Aunt Irene, and having her as my great aunt.

Peace that passes understanding. Crest Whitening Strips. That 10^th Anniversary trip to Tahiti. Sweet, sweet neighbors. Seeing friends who have moved away. Living in a safe community. Teaching children. AWANA for my kids. Talking about God, and my walk with the Lord with others. College. How God provides for our family through my husband great brain and hard work. The examples of Daniel and Joseph. Learning how God is working in other people’s lives, hearing what exactly He’s up to with others. Bubblegum.

20^th Wedding Anniversary family vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Apple pie. Psalms. Making birthday cakes for my children. Talking about Bible passages with my husband. Photography. Writing. That God would work through me as a vessel. That my kids enjoy school. Giving speeches, or teaching, and how God calms me for presentations. Impressionist Art. How God has poured out His grace on me in so many ways. Being a nurturer. Decorating. Working in my landscaping and with flowers. Fun, sweet Aunt Helen.

Smiling at strangers, and getting smiles back. Rocking babies. Reading to children. Colors – Red, Blue, Pink, Yellow, Lavendar, Aqua, Seafoam Green, Sunset Orange, Burgundy, Lime Green. Steak. My mom. My dad. The worship example of Mary of Bethany. That I still have both my parents. Memories of fun times with my in-laws. Having the name of the grandmother I never met for my first name. Sharing my middle name with the grandma I knew and grew up loving so dearly, and knowing I’ll be reunited with her in Heaven.

Prairie Ridge Church. Christian books. Compassion International. Samaritan’s Purse. Gospel for Asia. Thru the Bible. Oneplace.com. My literacy. Flexible, creative work. Dates with my husband. Peppy cars. Vacations in Chicago. Lollipops. Tootsie Pops. Great authors. Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion. The Constitution. Godly leadership. Make-Up. Seeing Churchill Downs. The smell of harvest in Iowa. Horses. Kittens. Puppies. Jo-Jo the love dog. Nachos. A good joke or riddle. Medical advances.

Praising God - openly and freely in the U.S. A really good run. Trees. Our safe neighborhood. Chick conversations. A good love story. Funny movies. Getting to see foals and calves born. Piglets. Red or white barns. Caring for others. Towels warm from the dryer. Chocolate milk. Neapolitan ice cream.

Chai. Iowa, beautiful land. Polka dots. Stripes. Other people’s patience with me. The promise of Heaven for all who confess with their mouths Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead.

©Helene Bergren. All Rights Reserved.

 

The Geometry Proof of Gratitude?

^{I took a break from the series I was writing about gratitude as we prepared our kids for the start of a new school year (Thank you, Lord.), and got settled back into some kids’ and ministry schedules. Yay, for routines. Here I am being grateful in the midst of a blog series about gratitude. Must be a God thing. So here goes, the third of four installments about gratitude, this one about how hope, character and gratitude are connected.}

^{As I have reflected on gratitude, the Holy Spirit has been teaching me, and showing me how many attitudes and character qualities intertwine with one another. More even than character, hope and gratitude that I set out to touch on in this blog.}

^{Hope results from character. When God has developed that character and hope in me, I am truly thankful in blessings my human nature would have me – and maybe you- see as minor. That thankfulness, lest I forget, is connected to faith God has built in me, giving me the courage to be generous to others as I live out my belief that my Maker will take care of me and mine.}

^{Whew! I’m feeling like I’m in a spiritual geometry class trying to prove that when God works gratitude in my heart, he’s already done several other works in me, and the gratitude can then grow and result in other blessings in my life and relationships. All in seven steps.}

¹ Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. ² Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

³ We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. ⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. – Romans 5, NIV, biblegateway.com

Boy, does God ever say what he means better than I say what I mean. Of course, the topics of character and hope are in this passage, but gratitude isn’t specifically mentioned. Still, it speaks of rejoicing, and peace – aren’t those signs of a grateful heart?

I love this next verse, too.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Col. 2:6-7 NIV

And see here how faith and thankfulness are connected. I think character is implied where it says “rooted and built up in him.”

So, you’re thinking, ‘Helene, this isn’t spiritual rocket science.'

Nope, you’re right, it’s not.

So then why is it so hard some days to live this? Because, of course, life as a follower of Jesus Christ means more than memorizing Bible verses and checking out the root word meanings in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek or Japanese. Ha. Ha. Had to throw that one in.

Head knowledge about a spiritual topic is much different than practicing it every day when I might be tired, or I might want something different than God does.

Lord, I pray you continually pour out grace and the power of the Holy Spirit on my life, so that I do live a life of character, hope and gratitude.

I can’t prove all these qualities are connected with one convenient Bible verse. I won’t prove it in seven orderly steps. God doesn’t need me to line it all up in a neat geometry proof.

character, hope, gratitude, generosity

peace, joy, love

blessed

No scripture connect the dots. No neat mathematical formula. But I see the truth of how He orchestrates these qualities and fruits to work together.

I’m blessed every single day by the reality of how God intertwines what matters most.

Above photo of overflowing Saylorville Lake, central Iowa June 30, 2010 Photo by Helene Bergren 

©Helene Bergren. All Rights Reserved.

Reading List: Radical Gratitude

I confess, when it comes to my relationship with my Lord and Savior, I’ve been thinking about my manners. Thankfulness, specifically.

How often do I praise and thank my Giver of Life? Did I learn those manners my mom taught me — and do I respond to the Spirit with heartfelt graciousness in my friendship with God?

I need good ideas, reminders and inspiration about that. I want gratitude to be my first response, part of my personality and my integrity. I found a book that helps.

In Radical Gratitude, Ellen Vaughn brings me as the reader into the very stories of all-surpassing gratitude. As I read and re-read them, I feel the Holy Spirit burning in my own heart, sparking thankfulness for my own salvation, life and blessings.

The author shares her thankfulness for deliverance from clinical depression. She shares stories of medical healings, and stories of thankfulness through grief. A story from Russia, and from Auschwitz, the Nazi concentration camp. Perspectives from the famous, and from God’s Word.

Radical Gratitude relays the experience of Martin Jenco, a priest and director of Catholic Relief Services in Beirut, Lebanon, during the mid-1980s. While in Hezbollah captivity, his only possession was a button — yeah, like for your shirt. He used the button as a meditative reminder during his captivity in 1984 and 1985.

But God spoke to Jenco, and convicted him to cling only to Himself, which meant giving up the button. God wanted to show the priest that He was with him always, even when Jenco was stuffed in the trunk of a car.

God, using Vaughn’s book, awakened me more fully to the deep importance of gratitude, too.

“Cultivating a grateful heart is not just an add-on nicety, a civil tip of the hat to God as we steamroll through our day. A posture of purposeful, perpetual thanks to God is absolutely central to Christian character. It gives glory to Him. It is the key defense against Satan’s temptations to despair, distrust, dysfunction. It protects us from sin and self. It is the hallmark of heaven. It does not exist in hell.”

(See page 51, Radical Gratitude)

Read Vaughn’s book for the good habits of grateful people she teaches. Read it for the Scripture examples she embeds.

Read Radical Gratitude to grasp the equal importance of gratitude for the daily gifts, and for the fireworks displays of God’s power.

Just read it.

Discussion Questions

What are you thankful for today?

What events relayed in the Bible touch your heart and spark gratitude in your life?

Is anything/What is getting in the way of radical gratitude in your life?

Are there other Christian books you’ve read about gratitude that you would recommend?

Above photo of Saylorville Lake in central Iowa. Photo by Helene Bergren

©Helene Bergren. All Rights Reserved.

Gratitude, Please and Thank You

This blog entry kicks-off a four-part series about gratitude.

When it comes to gratitude, I want to be like a horn of plenty with thankfulness spilling out of me. Hmmm. That’s not seasonally appropriate for an August blog entry.

When it comes to gratitude, I want to be like a rainbow, showing multi-colored gratefulness for the varied blessings in my life. Well, that’s corny.

OK. When it comes to gratitude, I want to wear a thankful attitude like my favorite, comfy pair of blue jeans, albeit holey, and patched up with heart appliqués. That’s a little more me.

I want the gratitude I have for all my blessings to be genuine, and natural. I want it to fit me well.

During a college class, the Ph.D. teaching asked a room full of budding young journalists a question that would prompt us to look at ourselves in a new way. He asked whether or not we realized that we were among the richest in the world because we were sitting where we were, in a university classroom.

He pointed out that worldwide, education, especially college, was for the elite, and we were it. Oh, sure, bring out the global peer measuring stick, why don’t you, prof?

I can’t remember how the topic was germane to our class, but the conversation has remained with me through the years. The instructor was, and is, absolutely right about the privilege of education.

That’s just one example of how God has brought good fortune my way.

I’m not neglected or forgotten. God blesses me every day, through my family, my friends, His Word, the sights and sounds of nature, my health and so much more.

However, I struggle with wanting something different, something newer, prettier, bigger, in some cases something more practical, sometimes something more sparkly or just more of something.

On the intangible side, many days bring me longing for more fulfillment, more excitement, a better or different kind of relationship with so-and-so, more talent, or more brains. Why this struggle, when I know I’m blessed?

It’s not because I don’t enjoy my life, and appreciate it overall. It’s not like I walk around saying or believing, “Woe is me.” And it is not because I lack the peace that comes from a relationship with Jesus.

I could spiritualize, and suggest my feelings stem from really living as a stranger here on Earth. Sure, that factors into discontent. Or maybe it’s spiritual warfare, and Satan’s getting at my weak spot that his minions see. Sure, that can add to it.

But I must have a diva side. (I know. I’m technically too old to be a diva — and my clothes aren’t as shiny.) Essentially, I blame my own ungratefulness. Greed, materialism and selfishness come into play for me.

My own heart needs to grow in gratitude. Does yours?

To battle the side of me that forgets my blessings, I try a variety of activities. Many of these, I practice for a reason beyond the specific goal of becoming more thankful. I do them because I want to.

But here are my Gratitude Growers –

1. Praying for a grateful heart

2. Asking God to realign my priorities

3. Diving into word studies in the Bible related to thankfulness

4. Recording my blessings in a little gratitude notebook

5. Practicing the ACTS form of prayer journaling (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication)

6. Replaying mentally how my life is easier or better today than it was in other timeframes

7. Participating in mission trips

8. Reading about other cultures and social injustices globally

9. Sponsoring a child through Compassion International

10. Avoiding idleness (not to be confused with avoiding rest)

I know there’s no special formula to heart change. I can’t flip a switch and change in my own power. Still, coupled with my own heart’s willingness and genuine effort, the Holy Spirit works the transformation. It’s a journey.

And on this journey I will continue to do (my best at) what this verse shows:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

His love endures forever.

1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV

In her book, Radical Gratitude, Ellen Vaughn covers the topic of thankfulness thoroughly, and convincingly. In my next blog post, I will spotlight that book, and share how some of her points touched my heart. In the third post, I will touch on gratitude, hope and character. In the fourth and final post, I will share a personal gratitude list, with a mix of the serious and the light-hearted.

©Helene Bergren. All Rights Reserved.

Photo at top is in the public domain.