“If the only words you ever pray are ‘thank you’, that will be enough.”
The Christian theologian Meister Eckhart wrote those words in the 14th century and they get as close to a succinct yet full summary of my beliefs as I have found.
Gratitude is not my default position. I once rolled my eyes when I heard the word gratitude.
I was taking part in a two-day silent retreat as a part of a continuing education program in spiritual direction and retreat leadership. As we gathered for the opening session of the retreat, our leader announced the theme for our extended time of silent reflection: gratitude.
And my eyes involuntarily rolled.
The exact word she used was gratefulness. The exact turn my eyes took was 180 degrees. I rolled my eyes because my default position is not gratitude but anxiously striving for more or fretfully defending what I feel is mine to protect. Through my fallen nature as a sinful human being and my particular life experience, I wake up in the morning as a hypervigilant and generally selfish creature.
When you combine that default nature with a world full of pain, heartbreak, and injustice, you get a tendency to fear, scarcity, and isolation.
The antidote to fear is gratitude. Don’t worry – I'm not going to suggest you develop a detailed gratitude practice or take up gratitude journaling. These are all good things, of course, but there is a way that the suggestion of gratitude can make you more anxious. (“I should be more grateful!”)
Instead, I am going to suggest that you take Meister Eckhart at his word and start praying the words “Thank you” as a daily practice. Set an alarm on your phone that simply says, “Thank you” at three points throughout the day. When the alarm rings, take a deep breath, put your hand on your heart, and say “Thank you.”
Listen to this incredible song* by Paul Zach, Music Minister at Christ Episcopal Church in Charlottesville, Virginia. At just around two minutes long, you could listen to it when your "thank you alarm” rings. It is a fast track to a state of gratitude.
When we pray “Thank you” we are not saying everything is hunky-dory. We are not presuming that everything is as it should be. We will gather tomorrow to celebrate Thanksgiving while many people in our lives and around the world continue to suffer. There will be empty chairs at family tables. There will be medical diagnoses that won’t take a break for the holidays. There will be financial ends that simply will not meet.
When we pray “Thank you” we are acknowledging that great mystery of the Incarnation – God is with us. In the midst of the pain, confusion, and loss, God is present. At our lowest, Jesus is there with us. When we are burned out from the never-ending ways we strive and hustle to find our worth, the Lord says, “You are mine.”
The Book of Common Prayer defines prayer as “responding to God.” Today and every day, let our response be, “Thank you.”
