For someone who has always been known as reliable, consistent, and disciplined, I struggle mightily with any kind of consistent spiritual practice. As a teen and college student, I did better. Time was more predictable and more often my own. I found moments of prayer and reflection each day as I cared for my horse and did chores around the barn. I spent quiet moments walking between classes and around my college campus giving thanks for the beauty of Creation and God’s work in my life. I wove moments of spiritual practice into my daily routines, and that sustained me through periods of homesickness, doubt, and anxiety. The common thread in all of these moments was usually gratitude. Sure, I voiced complaints and fears and prayed for the health and well-being of loved ones, but gratitude was the theme that always reconnected me with God and helped me to feel grounded and secure.
It is no surprise that when my daughter (now seven years old) was born, I wanted to make gratitude the centerpiece of our faith practice at home. As she grew and started speaking, we learned blessings to recite or sing before meals, and each night as I tucked her into bed, I asked, “What are you thankful for today?” At age two and three, the list often consisted of things like “unicorns,” “Mom and Dad,” and “bananas.” Some nights the list included “the whole world” and “my house.” We would take turns naming things we were thankful for before she drifted off to sleep. This practice grounded me and helped to put into perspective whatever had transpired during the day.
As time passed and my daughter grew older, life got busier and new challenges filled our days. Some nights — many if I’m being honest — we forgot about our thankful lists. It felt like a victory simply to have made it through another day.
Too often now my natural tendencies for consistent, disciplined practice are used up at work, in caring for my family, and fulfilling community obligations. I’ve lost track of the moments for reflection and prayer that used to texture my days. And I don’t always follow through on my good intentions and desire to shape my daughter’s life with the practice of gratitude.
But one night recently, as I was about to leave my daughter’s room after tucking her in, she called out, “Wait! Mom, what are you thankful for tonight?” and that question did for me exactly what I had hoped it would do for my daughter when I started the practice. It refocused my attention on what is truly important — God’s presence and grace in my life.
Making a gratitude list is nothing new or earthshattering. In truth, most meaningful spiritual practices are not. As the editor of The Upper Room, a 90-year-old daily devotional magazine highlighting stories of everyday people and their everyday experiences of God, I’m reminded daily that faithfulness isn’t about perfection or grand gestures. It is about showing up, practicing even when we don’t feel like it, making little spaces for gratitude and prayer amidst the busyness of the day. Those seemingly small acts matter, and our children take notice.
How are you making room for faithful practice in your life these days? Do you pray as you exercise? Make a gratitude list as you wash dishes? Teach your children Bible stories or songs based on scripture? No matter what your spiritual practice is, making time to reconnect with God is important because it grounds us and reminds us of the important work of abundant living and loving that God has called us to. So, I ask you, What are you thankful for today?
Lindsay Gray
Lindsay Gray is the Executive Director for The Upper Room daily devotional guide, a 90-year-old ecumenical magazine that shares stories and prayers from people around the world about how God is working in their daily lives. If you are looking for a simple spiritual practice to help you connect with God each day, learn more about The Upper Room at UpperRoom.org.
