The Gratitude Jar

Hello, Hello. Hello

Let’s talk about gratitude.
I read somewhere that Gratitude is “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.”
Gratitude is an emotion, expressed from a place of joy.

I’m sharing this because I feel it’s timely. Why? We are already in the 2nd half of the year. The month of July ends soon and we enter into August. And August is the 8th month of the year, the number 8 is a special one which we understand signifies new beginnings.
So why write about the Gratitude jar at this time?
Because I know that for some when we look back at the last 7 months, it’s easy to focus on that which we were unable to do and feel sad or terrible about it while lamenting about how little time we have left in the year to achieve everything.

But pause, take a deep breath and smile. Can we focus on the things that God has done for us? Can we focus on the beautiful moments, the answered prayers, the little things that all come together to make our lives a meaningful one?
Yes, you see the Bible says “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
I Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV

I have been taught to live every single day as a day of thanksgiving, so when in 2018 I came across the idea of a GRATITUDE JAR I loved it, especially since I still like to use a pen and a paper. 😀

Because it worked well in 2018, I did it again in 2019 and I have been practicing it ever since. And trust me when I say it has been most rewarding. It has helped me document even the smallest of victories, and writing it down ensured I can always go back, pick it up and read it on those days that were cloudy, I read it also in the days of big wins too, it reminds me that I am part of the bigger plan, reminds me to walk in God’s purpose for me.
It also reminds me of other things that still needed to be done, and more importantly it kept me grateful.

Being grateful can be a hard thing to do sometimes, more so doing it everyday, but documenting each win makes it just a little bit more easy.
One of the most amazing things being grateful does for us is make our relationships better. Yes, it will make our relationship with God better because we are constantly focused on His goodness and it will also make our relationship with others better. Everyone loves to be appreciated for what they’ve done. Been grateful to your spouse, kids, boss, parents etc. not only makes them happy but also serves to encourage them.

Today I sat down, turned my jar upside down and read what I had written down. And boy, did it make me glad and thankful to God for all he did for me, in me and through me.

Going into the remaining 5 months of the year, I would like to share this with you, it’s something you can do too, and as a Christian, this will help your prayer life too, because going back to read can help you pray specifically in thanksgiving; knowing exactly the things you are thanking God for.

Helpful tips – All you need.

a good clean container
Sheets of paper (I used sticky notes to make it colorful and keep it exciting)
A good writing pen, (keep it in the jar so you don’t have an excuse to not write)
Keep the jar within reach and sight. That’s all it takes.
For those who don’t like to write, you can keep track electronically and here’s a fun way to also involve others: 31 Days of thanksgiving. That is sharing something you’re grateful for each day of the month via social media.

Now remember Gratitude keeps us positive.
Wish you the very best in this journey and comment to let me know how it went for you.

This is a re-written version, the original post was first shared by this author on December 31st 2019.

A Thousand Words