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Most nights before bed, I write in a gratitude journal a few things from my day that made me smile, that I’m proud of or that brought a sense of peace. Journaling trains me to focus on life-giving, joyful moments and not lose track of these when I’m struggling or feeling overwhelmed. Something about physically keeping track of joys helps me remember them and look for more the next day.
The Book of Delights is a collection of essays by poet Ross Gay on what brings him delight. Gay says that by intentionally cultivating the practice of delight (or gratitude, as the case may be), he felt his “life to be more full of delight. Not without sorrow or fear or pain or loss. But more full of delight.”
Cultivating gratitude helps me take more notice of what I focus on. Even if it is just that a particularly hard day is over, goodness exists. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). When I write down the goodness I see, I tend to see goodness more easily.
This message is excerpted from “Singing, writing, moving, connecting” by Jordan Miller-Stubbendick in the December 2020 Gather magazine.