Gratefulness
Psalm 146
In all things, the practice of praise unleashes joy into the heart. Stopping for a moment to breathe the Jesus prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” is a balm, a door, an opening for gratefulness and joy to grow.
We are all gifted in particular ways. Practicing the gifts, the talents, the art, writing and song are actions of praise because these talents are not meant to be buried. They are given to us as life, as work, as a habit that draws faith into breath so that our returning to dust doesn’t disambiguate the work of our minds but rather ties it to the work of our hands. All this mending, washing, building, lifting, holding, painting, drawing, repairing, and inventing are in our lives as evidence of living, and a place where I can find help and hope from the God of Jacob.
