Today I am grateful for church.
I know there are many who don't believe in organized religion. But for me -- I am grateful to have a place of worship to attend on Sundays. I enjoy going and fellowshipping with like-minded friends and neighbors.
But more importantly, there are times when I feel a bit "empty" or "drained" from the week, or perhaps I am struggling with a certain trial. Getting out of the house and entering a place of peace and a place of worship and basking in the glow of others around me seems to buoy me up. It's like their sunshine will flow over into me, embracing me and letting me know I am in a place wherein I am loved.
Often times, a message will be shared-- either from the pulpit, in Sunday School or in passing conversation and it is precisely the message I needed to hear at that very moment. Today was no exception.
In this 30 days of Gratitude project, part of my quest, per se, was to determine the importance of gratitude to begin with. Initially, I felt that developing an attitude of gratitude would help me be able to see the bright side of things, to look at the glass as half-empty and not half full. Which it does. But, somehow, it does something more -- affects me deeper somehow. It's a bit enigmatic, and yet I can feel the change from within.
Today a speaker in church made the comment that having real gratitude in our hearts makes everything else "enough". I thought about that and it really resonated with me. This is the time of year I start to stress and feel anxious. I feel this pressure (put on myself, by myself) to try to give my kids a good and memorable Christmas. Sometimes the anxiety is so bad I want to stay in bed, with the covers up over my head and not come out until after New Year's. But having gratitude and really striving to see the good in everything, really does make what little I give seem like "enough".
Today, I am grateful for church.
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