You are made for this.
Once I was giving some talks on the Psalms, the prayer book of the Bible. The two audiences were interested when I spoke on Psalms describing consolation, longing and the history of the people of Israel. But something happened when I spoke on the Psalms of Praise and Thanksgiving – they perked up. When I told stories or mimed what happens when we praise or thank someone, the atmosphere changed. When mimicking a grandparent praising a grandchild, they responded to the richness and feeling of the interaction. When thanking a person in mime play, one group actually breathed an audible sigh of approval. I had begun these talks stating that we are made for praise and thanks, that it is wired into our spiritual DNA, but having felt how these audiences responded I am convinced even more of this. When we praise or thank, or are praised or thanked, we feel good, we grow, we even glow. And the same can happen when we watch or hear of praise or thanks happening between other people, even in make-believe stories.
Praise and thanks are not added extras to our acts of care and service – the icing on the cake, so to speak. Rather, we do acts of care and service to bring about praise and thanks. That is when love truly flowers. Imagine what the relationship would be like if each, in a marriage, a friendship, a partnership, genuinely appreciated what the other did and told each other. We are made for this. We grow and glow, and sometimes the people around us also grow and glow. As well, we give our children the best example for making and maintaining good relationships in the future. And the best relationship in which to start praise and thanks is with God.
In the coming days, try giving thanks and praise to others at least three times each day. See how it transforms you, making you more of the person you are meant to be.
Loving God, you have made me for praise and thanks. Open my mind and heart to see all the good in my life and to graciously give and receive thanks. I ask this in Jesus’ name confident that you will hear me.
Sr Kym Harris osb