Gratitude and Paying Attention

Much of the spiritual life consists, fundamentally, in paying attention, and one of the great blessings of old age is that I’ve discovered I’ve done a lousy job of doing it.

I’ve come to see that a great deal of my life consisted of my mind wandering off from when it should be focused on something. Sometimes this doesn’t matter, like when you’re raking leaves or doing the dishes. Other times it does, as when you’re in a classroom and the teacher is droning on about a subject you’ll be tested on, or when the guy at the store is telling you how to set up your phone.

Realizing my tendency to mentally wander off, I’ve been making a serious effort to pay attention, at least to things that matter, and discovered this is hard work, and requires minute by minute effort. Generally, this effort has been rewarding.

Spiritually, at the heart of what makes us happy is an awareness of happy-making things. The happiness comes from paying attention to these things and telling God about them. Telling God about them is what we know as praise and thanks-giving. For example, we live in a beautiful, rural and wooded part of New Hampshire. When I’m paying attention, I notice how beautiful my surroundings are and that I get to live here. To notice the beauty of nature inspires praise, to say to God, “Wow! This is beautiful!”  And, then, when I realize we get to live here amid all this beauty, I’m inspired to say, “Thanks!”  I’m then happy, at least for the next half hour.

There are other things to be noticed too.  I find God’s love is something wonderful and comforting to believe in. But, what makes it personal for me is my awareness of God’s patience and how much patience is needed not only to put up with me, but to love me. It is relatively easy for me to recall all the times I’ve been more impressed with myself than my self deserves, or when I’ve been a self-centered jerk, or the many times I’ve been caught up in my wrong-headed rightness. These uncomfortable memories, however, serve as a reminder of God’s patience, and that God has loved me from the beginning and has hung in there with me. So, praise: “Wow! You’re patient! You put up with me!”  And, thanksgiving: “Thanks.” (No elaboration is necessary here.)

So, the point of this: pay attention to the many gifts of grace God has given and is giving to you. Pay attention to the things that make you happy. Or, if you need for this to be put more spiritually, pay attention to the things that bless you.

Where to start looking? Look for the good things in your life. These good things are God’s gifts, and gifts are always happy-making. Let the gifts be an occasion for thanking—and loving—the Giver.