Why Giving Thanks is the Key to Our Well-being
by Tom Tonoli
Book: Gratitude: Why Giving Thanks Is the Key to Our Well-Being, by Cornelius Plantinga
With Thanksgiving approaching, there’s no better time to consider how well we practice thankfulness. In Gratitude, Cornelius Plantinga invites readers to consider how thankfulness shapes our relationships, our faith, and our own hearts.
To what extent do I, or should I, give gratitude? What does gratitude provide to those who receive it? What does the expression of gratitude bring to me, the giver? If I feel insufficient in this practice, how can I learn to give more? Are there aspects of my faith where I should express more thoughts and prayers of gratitude, such as thanks for God’s grace? Are there qualities within me that limit my expression of gratitude?
In this short book (150 pages) of relaxed, conversational reading, Plantinga gave me a much clearer awareness of all of these questions. I was gently led to think about when and how much I express gratitude, and where I could add more of it to my world, both in my relationships and in my faith. Plantinga is soft-spoken and convincing as he reminds us how much good gratitude does, for others and for ourselves, and how it multiplies when those who receive it are encouraged to pass it on. I’ve become more alert to gratitude’s value, more motivated to practice it, and better equipped to do so. It’s a high return on the investment of reading.
Want to read it? Gratitude is available in the FPC Word Source Library, Room 202 in the Community Life Center. The Library is open whenever the church is open, and self-checkout is easy. New books are displayed most months, and periodicals offer reading on current issues in the Presbyterian faith. Stop in and find your next read!
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