By Bruce Lindgren of Independence, Missouri, USA

But I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord because he has dealt bountifully with me.

My mother was raised in a large family in the midst of the Great Depression. They had very little money and little opportunity to experience much in the way of extravagance. Some of the older children, however, shared in planting and caring for a large vegetable garden.

I was a young child when my parents bought their first house in the early 1950s, and one of the first things they did was plant a vegetable garden in the backyard. During the hot days of summer, Mom’s greatest pleasure was to go out to the garden and pick a fresh cucumber or tomato from the vine and have it for lunch with a slice of buttered bread. It was a moment she savored.

My siblings and I preferred something more complex, hot dogs perhaps. She typically accommodated us, but she preferred the freshly picked vegetable over everything else. It was an experience of gratitude for her to be sitting in her own house with her own children and dining on something she enjoyed more than anything.

She had experienced the deprivations and hardships of the Great Depression, and she had more recently experienced the uncertainty and economic rationing imposed during World War II. A simple item grown in her garden became the focus of everything she had ever wanted in life, and she overflowed with gratitude for the simplest things one could imagine.

When we think of gratitude, it is tempting to focus on things that are large and spectacular. Yet, it is gratitude for the small and simple things that may have the biggest impact on our lives.

Prayer Phrase

“For everything created by God is good” (1 Timothy 4:4).

Spiritual Practice

Joy of Gratitude

Stand, if possible, with arms outstretched. Imagine God filling your arms with all that you have: family, friends, and possessions. Hold out your arms until they feel tired. Now, bring your arms across your body. Place your hand over your heart and thank God for the abundance that fills your life. Sit for a time aware of that abundance. Then ask God to help you open your heart in gratitude and share freely with others.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.