Sowing Gratitude

"sowing gratitude." A phrase and an image that’s been on my heart the past few days, as I've been feeling less grounded, more anxious, and a little uprooted. The power of gratitude is something that's not lost on me, and the idea of "sowing" it is something that I can't seem to shake. I looked up what technically happens when you sow seeds, and this is what I found:

"When a seed is planted in the ground, germination happens. Germination is the process in which a seed changes from a state of dormancy (just a seed) to a growing, living plant."

I feel like my heart has been somewhat dormant to gratitude the past few weeks, letting myself get swept up in the anxieties of change, feeling out of control of my time due to a busy schedule and three small kiddos, etc. I've felt a stirring and prompting to pause and meditate on gratitude - not only it's power and affect on our hearts, but also the commands God gives us when it comes to being grateful.

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." - Colossians 3:15

"But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere." - 2 Corinthians 2:14

Sowing takes action, time, focus, discipline. Sowing takes commitment and patience. What if we proactively sowed gratitude each day? Allowing our dormant hearts to have the opportunity to come alive. Allowing space and time for strong roots to take hold that keep us anchored throughout ever-changing circumstances. Allowing the fragrance of Christ to spread everywhere around us as a result.

There's something wonderful and powerful that happens when we take the time to be grateful. I'll wrap up with a lovely quote I came across from Melody Beattie:

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity...it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

Will you #sowgratitude with me?