Faith: Gratitude

Faith means trust.  Faith is better a verb than a noun.  Faith is acting in relationship to others placing our hearts into the action, acting on and living out of the places where our hearts are.

Recently I was told, again, that my complaints about the current President’s racist actions toward immigrants would be better served if I would just pray for him.  Too many want to send “thoughts and prayers” to Puerto Rico rather than the full force of US aid like we did for Texas and Florida–all American communities.  Isn’t the only difference the amount of brown skin involved?

But “prayer changes things” the popular saying goes.

Prayer does change things.  In my experience, prayer has the power to change the one who prays.  One of the most immediately effective forms of prayer is gratitude.

So, on this Thanksgiving Day, despite a corrupt, racist and dangerous man in the office of President–and all that that may mean to us–we can exercise the power of gratitude.

There may be much in our lives and families that we would complain about.  But, for today, let us find what we are grateful for.

There may be much in our communities that we would change.  But, for today, let us find what we are grateful for.

There may be much in our nation and world that we would like to transform with a magic wand (or ask God to make go away). But, for today, let us find what we are grateful for.

And then, let us give thanks for these things.  Let us feel in our bodies, minds and relationships what gratitude does.

And tomorrow: decide which of those troubling things we want to work on–and do it. “Pray” is also a verb.

Bob Patrick

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