More thoughts on gratitude

 

The Pruning Hands of God

From: Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit

Gratitude is not a simple emotion or an obvious attitude. It is a difficult discipline in which I constantly reclaim my whole past as the concrete way God has led me to this moment and is sending me into the future. It is hard precisely because it challenges me to face my painful moments – experiences of rejection and abandonment, feelings of loss and failure – and gradually to discover in them the pruning hands of God purifying my heart for deeper love, stronger hope, and broader faith.

Reflection Question: What aspects of your past do you need to reclaim as part of God's leading you to this moment?

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. - Psalm 100: 4

Henri Nouwen (1932–1996) was a priest, professor, and spiritual writer. He authored over 40 books on the spiritual life and spent his final years at L'Arche Daybreak, a community for people with intellectual disabilities. Drawing from his own journey of vulnerability and faith, he invites seekers into deeper intimacy with God, themselves, and others.

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