Entering Advent with a Posture of Gratitude
a 10 minute gratitude practice
The original version of this post was published around the same time last year. I’ve made a few changes, but the bones are the same. I hope you’ll join me again, pausing for a short practice of gratitude before moving to the season of Advent.
Before we move completely into the next season, I invite you to settle into the in-between space. Amidst baking pies, cousin talent shows, and decorating for Christmas I hope you’ll linger with me in gratitude before moving on to hope, peace, joy, and love.
At the intention-setting mini-retreat1 I’m leading next week, we’ll (likely2) be using The Prayer of Examen to center ourselves amongst the busyness of December.
The second step of The Examen is to review the day in thanksgiving - and I want to rest here for a bit. Today, we’ll settle into a posture of gratitude as we move into Advent & Christmas. I’ve heard it said, that this step is not a time to count your blessings, but rather a time to savor your blessings.
The Oxford Dictionary says that to savor is to taste (good food or drink) and enjoy it completely. So, how might we savor our blessings? How might we look at the good things in our lives and enjoy them completely?
Throughout Advent, we’ll make room here for lament, grief, and sadness. We’ll push back on the traditional Advent themes; we’ll consider our culture and how it asks us to be merry during the longest, darkest nights of the year. I wonder, for today, what it might look like to begin this season in gratitude? And not simply jotting down a few good things — but savoring in the goodness of our lives.
In Brené Brown’s research on joy and gratitude, she tells us that over and over, the people who express experiencing the most joy have not merely a spirit of gratitude, but engage in practices of gratitude. If you’d like to stick with me a bit longer (10ish minutes or however long or short you make it!), I’d love to invite you into steps 1 and 2 of The Prayer of Examen as we practice gratitude together:
Begin by closing your eyes, or find a gentle place to rest your gaze. Take a few deep breaths— breathing in God’s goodness and breathing out all that is not of God (fear, anxiety, anger, envy).
Pray: God, help me see my life with clarity. Show me your goodness, even amidst the backdrop of grief. (Replace grief with any word that makes sense for you — sadness, stress, anxiety, fear). Linger here in prayer (with or without words).
Take three more deep breaths — breathing in God’s goodness and breathing out all that is not of God. (Return to this prayer anytime you need to during the practice — when your inner critic shows up, when you start making a to-do list for next week, or when you are interrupted).
Review the last few days, weeks, or year with gratitude. (Any amount of time works here). Create a list of as many things as you can think of that you feel grateful for (perhaps staying here for 5-10 minutes). When you feel like you’ve completed your list, dig in and push yourself to add just a few more.
Circle 2-3 things on your list that you’d like to savor today. (You can return to your list and savor the goodness at anytime!)
Pray: God, deepen my gratitude and show me how to enjoy these good gifts completely. Teach me to savor the goodness of my life.
Read prayerfully through each item you circled. You might imagine the moment, write down a few more thoughts about it, or even write a note to share your gratitude with someone else. Stay here as long as you’d like.
End by returning to your deep breathing — breathing in God’s goodness and breathing out all that is not of God.
May you savor the goodness3 of your life today.
alongside you,
Holly
Links & Spiritual Direction News:
I’m the 2025 recipient of The Church Lab’s Empowering Experiments Mini Grant! Next spring I’ll be leading a workshop / group direction for ministry leaders in Austin, TX interested in learning to Listen Like a Spiritual Director. Click here for more information.
Next week, I’ll be hosting Preparing to Wait, a virtual lunchtime retreat. This mini-retreat will be a spacious time to prayerfully consider how you would like to enter the season of Advent. I hope you’ll join me on December 3rd from 12 pm - 1:30pm CT for a contemplative, guided retreat followed by conversation. The cost of the retreat is $15 (scholarships and discounts are available.)
You can sign-up and find out more through this link.
I am still working to get things together for the mini-retreat, so we may or may not use The Examen — TBD!