Guest Post by Pat Mitchell

When Jamey asked me to pen a devotional on gratitude, I was like, “What? Me?” because who am I to write about gratefulness to a church full of grateful people. 

It made me stop and think, do I live a “Thank you, Jesus,” Kind-a-Life? And if so, what things do I do that help.

To be frank, I’m a cherry-picker Bible reader. Years ago, I fell in love with and stamped this sucker on my life. 

“Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.” 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (The Message)

In essence, Paul’s showing me the way to live with gratitude, to be thankful, in all circumstances, not just when things are going my way.

One practice is to count my blessings. This may sound corny, but I made a bunch of coffee mugs with Dooper-dog on one side and on the other, the phrase ‘COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS.’ It reminds me to say thank you with every sip.

If you know me, you know I’m usually smiling. I do this on purpose. Science says it’s good for me. It’s good for all of us.   

One of my favorite books is the bestseller, The Book of Joy, which is a written discussion between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. They constantly talk about how gratitude and smiling bring joy.

“Gratitude may stimulate the hypothalamus... the simple act of smiling for as little as twenty seconds can trigger positive emotions, jump-starting joy and happiness. Smiling... unleashes a feel-good cocktail of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins.” 

The Book of Joy, Chapter 6, page 248.

Science says smiling is contagious. Study after study reveal this magical medicine. 

“Smiling is infectious... someone smiled at me today, and I started smiling too. Smiling is like a virus; it’s contagious, ... spreading from person to person.” 

The Oxford Scientist

I even smile when I run. I play this game where I wave and smile at cars that pass by. It’s like a boomerang - I get waves and smiles back practically every time. 

So, Jamey, thank you for asking me. I’m grateful, and I’m counting this as a blessing, and I’m smiling.

Y’all have a Super Dooper good day! 

Pat Mitchell