A Heart of Gratitude

2 Corinthians 4:15

This is all for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

Reflection:           

Late last night, my flight pulled in to Mitchell International Airport. It was a quick trip; a few days packed with flying, driving to multiple cities, and more flying – all so I could be physically present as my sister graduated college in Arizona.
 The trip was a gift in many ways…but one gift I didn’t expect. My brief time in Arizona, enjoying the blessings of family, actually grounded me spiritually in a way that I have been lacking recently. 

That spiritual grounding can be summed up in one word: Gratitude.

Over the last few years, I have come to believe that gratitude is the heart and the hallmark of Christian love. I have even chosen the verse above to be printed at the bottom of every e-mail I send. I believe this verse sums up the purpose of the Church (and remember “the Church” is the people, not the buildling or the institution). As the Church, we are called to extend God’s grace so that thanksgiving is increased. The Church is about cultivating a heart of gratitude in Jesus’ followers, so they may serve with glad and generous hearts.

I may believe this with my head, but part of being an imperfect creature means my heart often forgets these important bits of spiritual wisdom. The busy-ness and pace of my life, like many of yours, makes me forget to cultivate gratitude.

But then I drove out to “the island.”

You see, my home town of Lake Havasu City, AZ, is spread out on the banks of the Colorado River, a thin strip of civilization between the water and the base of the mountains that line the town. At night, you can drive across the bridge, and out on an island that is perched in the middle of the Colorado. From there, you can see the whole town spread out. Look again at the picture above; it’s beautiful.

But it isn’t just the raw beauty of a desert town on the banks of the river that struck me. As I sat and looked back at the town that raised me, I was filled with a profound sense of gratitude.

Gratitude for the people who loved me.

Gratitude for the church that taught me how to love others.

Gratitude for the journey, and for the God who is always one step ahead of me.

My prayer for St. Luke, and for every individual that makes up St. Luke, is that our work together as a church cultivates in us the kind of gratitude I felt that night.

I am ready, and excited, to lead us in this important work; of extending God’s grace to more and more people, and increasing thanksgiving, all to the glory of God!

Prayer: God of every good gift, open our eyes to notice your blessings, and open our hearts to be filled with gratitude for every breath. Amen.