By Ashlie Miller

I’m embarrassed to admit it, but there was a time when I did not express gratitude as I should. It was not because we were lower middle class (or were we upper lower class?) and did not have many possessions. We had what we needed plus a little, and even a poor church mouse can be cheery and worship with gratitude. Although we often look down upon the youth of today and their sense of entitlement, I think there were plenty of us who took things for granted – that what we needed or desired would be provided. Full stop. 

Thankfully, some mentors in my life who bore with me – a teenager with 90s angst – continued to pour into me, treating me to meals, unexpected shopping trips, or other times together. When one young mom took me for an afternoon treat, I remember it was not until after I had made it back home that I realized I had not even thanked her for making time for me. Gratitude is like a muscle to work. When we do not practice it, it atrophies. Though I had learned to worship God in the church, I had not exercised gratitude in the marketplace and in my daily life. I was really weak in that area. Thankfully, that moment became a turning point. 

Fast forward – for years, my mother had inexpensive, vinyl tablecloths adorning her Thanksgiving tables along with Sharpies for guests to write notes of their reflections on the last year and why they were thankful this year. We can see the progress over time of grandchildren and the seasons of life of each family unit. Hand-tracings, sometimes shaped into a turkey, represent the hands that are too little to write. There are notes from those who were guests that year, many of whom have now passed away, making the $5 tablecloth invaluable. 

You may have your own gratitude tradition – a decorative stick tree with paper leaves marking thanks; a journal filled in by family members; social media posts expressing reflections throughout the month; circling the room to share testimonies. It can also be much more subdued, with taking a moment for one person to say grace while looking back at what the family as a whole has come through that year. 

As previously mentioned, five different Thanksgiving gatherings await my family this year. As a Christian, I am aware that Sundays are not the only day to worship. Nor is Thanksgiving the only special day for expressing gratitude, but intentional gatherings marked by thanks can effectively set us up for a rhythm of offering praise to our Provider. 

My youngest child often loves to end a meal with a gratitude game we play. He delights in getting it out for us. I am sure part of it is childlike delight in playing a game with the family, but the result is practicing praise. If gratitude is a muscle to exercise, I am excited to see how strong my children could be if they continue to work this routine of thankfulness. 

You may be approaching the coming week as just another full week of gatherings. That could be all it is for you. The idea of exercising anything in a week of total consumption is not inviting. What if you practice exercising your gratitude before your gatherings? What difference could what you give (thanks) make in your personal takeaway for the holiday ?