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Gratitude

Here’s something to pray about — gratitude.

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118, verse 24. There is a quote that goes something like this: this moment is called the present because it is a gift from God. I like to give thanks for that gift.

I feel really blessed and I think I should be giving thanks a lot. My experience is when I’m feeling grumpy and angry at the world, praying gratitude often cuts through that sludge like a hot knife through butter. I just have to be aware enough to step back and start praying.

One place I practise praying gratitude is on my motorcycle. Riding a motorcycle has a bit more risk than travelling by car so as I ride along, I often give thanks for all the blessings of my life and for a safe journey up until that moment.

I recently rode from Calgary to Sorrento Centre and back. That trip requires travelling the Trans Canada Highway west from Calgary, through Banff, Lake Louise, Kicking Horse and Rogers Pass to Shuswap Lake in the BC interior. It is not an ugly or boring trip.

A beautiful moment. Photo by me.

The trip out was on a hot sunny July day. I wear full protective gear so I was toasty. While riding a section just east of Revelstoke, I noticed something that will not be experienced in a car. The fast moving mountain streams that flow straight down the cliffs next to the highway are moving more that ice cold water. There is a refreshing cool wind current that is induced by the water flow. Now that feels really good on a hot day! I gave thanks a number of times for that splash of cool wind.

When I wake up in the morning, sometimes I remember to say a quick prayer of thanks for another day on this beautiful planet. Perhaps I’m aware of that gift because I have already outlived my father by 17 years. It feels to me like waking up in the morning is a gift.

I try to give thanks often during the day even in unpleasant circumstances. I find that a challenge. I try to remember that I do not know the larger purpose of what is happening in that moment. The common phrase around here is “it’s all good”.

Perhaps I should set the timer on my Blackberry to go off every couple minutes and at that moment, give thanks for what is happening in that moment. Ok, that’s not going to happen.

So I give thanks for the opportunity to compose this blog posting because it has given me a chance to reflect on my prayers of gratitude.

How do you express gratitude through prayer?

Mark Perrin

About Mark Perrin

I’m a member of St Martin’s Anglican in Calgary and a director of the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer. I’m an engineer by training and consult in the oil patch doing engineering, IT and finance work. I am married and have three children. At church I’m an intercessor and participate in our healing prayer ministry. My spiritual life includes Christianity, the healing arts of Qi Gong, Reiki and Shamanism, and a curiosity about how creation works. In my spare time I occasionally post to this site, play with motorcycles, guitars, computers and model trains.
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  • Kyle Norman