1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
We are called by God to continually give thanks. But today’s busy world makes it all too easy – and all too common – for it to fall by the wayside. Many, if not most, of us get swept away in the day-to-day and begin to take for granted many of the things we love and the blessings we receive.
As we enter the month of Thanksgiving, I want to offer a challenge to everyone:
The Thirty Days of Gratitude Challenge
This challenge involves either gratitude journaling or writing letters to those you are grateful for.
Some of you may be wondering: why journaling? Why letters? Do I really need to write about what I am thankful for?
First of all, I wouldn’t say you NEED to do anything. I won’t be forcing you. So I’ll present a follow-up challenge that when you talk to others about this journaling endeavor, you pay attention to your wording:
- “I get to participate…”
- “I want to participate…”
- “I’m excited to participate…”
I know I’m excited – excited to reflect on blessings, discover the ways God is using everything that is happening in my life, and to fuel the peace that only reflecting on His goodness can bring… and to remind others how thankful I am for them.
But, to answer your other question…
Why journaling or letters?
This is a great article that gives a summary of the impact that gratitude journaling can have on your mental and physical health. Gratitude journaling has many wonderful (and some wonderfully surprising) benefits, including:
- Boosting optimism and positivity
- Positive correlation with physical activity
- Improved sleep
- Reduced feelings of anxiety and depression
- Less fatigue and inflammation
- Reduced risk of heart failure
- Inverse correlation with bullying victimization and suicide risk in adolescents
As for why letters, well… imagine yourself getting a completely unexpected but lovely handwritten letter from a friend who reminds you how much you are loved and how grateful they are to have you in their life. Feels pretty good, right? It will also feel good to write that letter, and handwriting it forces you to take a few minutes to reflect deeper on this gratitude you feel for the one you’re writing it to.
Will you join me?
You can participate in this challenge on your own using this guide, but we encourage you to also join our Facebook event for additional encouragement and support, and invite others to participate as well.
Be well!
Elizabeth
