Practicing Gratitude

Lord,
recently I heard someone talk about gratitude
not as an attitude, but as a practice --
a daily lived out disciplined practice.
Similar to all those years
I practiced piano or trumpet...

So, I'm trying to practice gratitude.
Practicing saying, "Thank you."
Disciplining myself to make lists of things
for which I am grateful.

Here's one for today:
Thank you, God, for work that gives me joy.
Thank you for the ability and opportunities I had today to help someone else.
Thank you for a delicious dinner fixed by my wife of vegetables and quiche!
Thank you for my son's willingness to help set the table without being asked.
Thank you for the joy of watching him swim at swim lessons.
Thank you for the quiet of the night that gives me space to think.
Thank you for the gift of family and time to celebrate together.

Yes, Lord,
it's an incomplete list.
But hey that's what practice is about...
learning the rhythms, the notes, the sound,
the feel of the keys beneath my fingers,
working on the hard places and enjoying the successes...

So Lord,
in my practice of gratitude,
teach me the rhythms of thanksgiving,
the notes, the sounds of Thank you,
help me feel the joy in my body,
working through the hard places of life and
savoring the graces.

Let it be, dear Lord, let it be...