Three Easy, Soul-Filling Habits That Will Make You More Grateful
My neighbor loves to listen to classical music—it feeds her soul. I love the changing beauty of the sky and the birdsong from the trees—they feed mine. Over the years, I’ve learned feeding my soul is important in becoming more grateful.
Fill Your Soul, Become More Grateful
I have found three habits that have helped me to develop my gratitude:
- Noticing the beauty around me
- Keeping a gratitude journal
- Writing down a scripture
1. Finding God in the Beauty Around Me
My husband, Boyd, lived with Alzheimer’s for seven years. In the beginning, the changes were subtle, but by the last year he couldn’t walk and required full nursing care. I was a nurse, and with the help of home health, family, and friends, I was able to care for him at home.
Those final months were the hardest. I wrestled with my faith, feeling anger, fatigue, and deep sorrow. Why, I wondered, would God allow this?
Each night, when Boyd was finally settled, I’d take our dog outside. And there, just beyond my front door, I found God waiting for me. I’d breathe in the cool night air and lift my eyes to the sky. I felt His presence—quiet but certain—even amid my pain. My watch would tell me the moon’s stages, and I began to delight in learning the rhythms of the heavens.
Even after Boyd’s passing, I continued taking pictures of the sky, sharing them online as reminders of God’s faithful presence, even in the darkest times.
2. Writing It Down in a Gratitude Journal
Years earlier, Boyd and I endured a different season of difficulty when our sons were teenagers. It felt like we lurched from one crisis to another. One son had been adopted as a high-risk infant, the other at age seven. We believed both placements were part of God’s calling on our lives. They were a lively pair, only six months apart, and when puberty hit, I longed for God to step in and “fix” things.
But there was no quick fix. God seemed silent, and I slipped into depression. One day, while cleaning a drawer, I stumbled on a small gratitude journal. I had resisted using it, but in desperation, I decided to give it a try.
Each day, I wrote down three things I was thankful for. Some days, the list came easily. Other days, I scraped the bottom: “teenager still alive” or “no call from the school today.” Slowly, the fog began to lift. My natural optimism returned, and eventually, the teenage years passed.
Today, our sons are in their 40s, alive and well. And I continue to write down my gratitude in a journal.
3. Creating Scripture Cards
I began writing scriptures on index cards while part of a small group that practiced memorization. Truthfully, I’m a memorization dropout—I’ve never been good at it, and I dislike it. But I’ve discovered the power of keeping Scripture easily accessible.
Scripture cards are ready to grab, quick to read, and deeply comforting. Being reminded of God’s faithfulness, promises, and wisdom stirred gratitude in me—even if I never fully memorize the verses. I keep them scattered throughout my life: a few in my purse, some by my chair and bed, and many etched into my heart.
When discouragement comes, I reach for a card that reminds me of God’s truth, like the worn one tucked into my Bible:
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by out his love into our heart by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
– Romans 5:5
Becoming More Grateful, Even When Life Is Hard
Heartaches and struggle can make gratitude feel out of reach. In those moments, I remind myself to turn toward what feeds my soul—whether it’s a beautiful sky, a bird’s song, a gratitude list, or a scripture that speaks to my heart.
To God be the glory.
Meet Sarah Christy
Sarah Christy, always a reader, decided to pursue writing as a retiree. Participating in OLLI classes at Bradley University, she discovered her voice through writing.
She has spent her life serving others by expressing her Christian faith through her life choices. Sarah and her late husband, Boyd, enjoyed parenting two bio children as well as four biracial adopted children. Trained as a lay Stephen Minister and GriefShare facilitator, Sarah has walked with others in difficult times. Today she is embracing her life alone after her husband’s death in 2024 due to Alzheimer’s. Enjoy her view of life, always honest and uplifting; she will leave you with hope for the journey.
Sarah’s first book, Keep Going, is the story of a summer camp started in her son’s memory that evolved into a national non-profit, United Stroke Alliance.
Sarah is presently is working on a memoir about the journey of her husband’s experience as a disabled Vietnam veteran and their calling to adopt across racial lines.
You will find her thoughts on grief & caregiving as well as stories from her great-grandmother’s diaries, written in 1901 on her website: KeepgoingbySarah.net. Also, catch her daily sky pictures on Instagram.
Where to find her . . .
Begin Within is a series to inspire a year-round lifestyle of gratitude that will impact not only your own life, but the lives of your neighbors as well. Gratitude is a theme we talk about often around here because it ties so closely into other missional living rhythms. Practicing gratitude reminds to keep our hearts soft and expectant and our eyes open. Therefore, the more we embrace gratitude, the easier it becomes to truly see our neighbors and where we can join what God is already doing in our neighborhoods.
If you would like to contribute to Begin Within, you can find the submission guidelines here.
