TEN DAYS OF GRATITUDE – DAY 6
— DAY 6: Our RESILIENCE —
We give thanks for our resilience during hard times.
It is much easier to find things for which we are grateful when life is good and situations turn out the way we want them to. It is harder to find gratitude when we experience adversity. Life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, but we can still find gratitude. Humans are resilient and resourceful, and we can draw upon that strength in times of difficulty. We don’t always know why crises and challenges come into our lives, but we can appreciate the gifts those experiences offer. Without challenge, there would be no change; life may be difficult, but our challenges make us better people. We give thanks for opportunities for growth, learning, and transformation. We give thanks for vulnerability, for tenderness, and for the love and support that we provide for one another. We give thanks for the gift of desperation, for pain that shows us truth about ourselves and the world, for the miracles of surrender and acceptance.
The author Frederick Buechner once wrote that grace was God communicating with us. Through it, God says: “‘Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid. I am with you.’”
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What currently feels challenging in your life?
When have you experienced or witnessed resilience, in yourself or others?
When bad things happen to you, how do you respond? Who do you turn to for help?
Most of us can think back on experiences we have had that were horrible at the time, but now we can see the gifts, blessings, and lessons we received.
What “silver linings” – big and small– can you find in your life?
The image of a buddha sitting by a tree and covered in snow.
(This echoes the philosophy found in Four Noble Truths of Buddhism: all human experience is dukkha (suffering, impermanence, unease), but acceptance of our situation and letting go of control gives us freedom.)
Our community showed our resilience when we successfully adapted to the Covid-19 pandemic, recording video services and maintaining connections through technology.
A plant growing through asphalt
“You don’t always have to be whole to shine, dear moon child.”