A Posture of Gratitude

A few weeks ago I was struck by the ABC News article on two pastors who have lost their faith, but are still preaching.[1]  The second pastor, “Adam”, explained: "I live out my life as if there is no God."  This phrase caught my attention because I’ve been reading Stanley Hauerwas’ memoir, Hannah’s Child.  Hauerwas, a theologian and ethicist, writes: “I live most of my life as if God does not exist.”[2]  I know there are many atheists out there, but how is it possible for pastors or theologians, people who devote their lives studying God and teaching others about God, live as if there is no God?  In that same breath, I couldn’t help but ask myself, “How much of my life do I live as if God does not exist?”

I became overwhelmed by the possibility that God does not make any difference in much of what I do day in and day out.  My daily patterns and habits often do not look any different than those of friends who do not believe in God.  But I know for certain that I would not be where I am today doing what I am doing where it not for the fact that God has made a profound difference in my life.  In trying to seek a faithful answer to this question, I asked myself, does God’s existence make any difference to my morning routine?  I chose my morning routine because it is exactly that – a routine, filled with the same patterns, day in and day out.

Each morning I am generally woken up by a hungry cat who progresses from gentle nudges to stomping all over me, trying to get me up to feed her.  (Who needs an alarm clock when you have a cat?).  After nuzzling her and giving her her morning rub down, I feed her.  Then it is the dogs’ turn.  Each one gets a morning rub down that slowly wakes them up.  I’ve done this for years – I start at the head and gently massage the head, the body, and then each leg, and finish with a hug.  Then I let the dogs out and get the kettle on for tea!  My morning tea is a must.  I read my morning devotion with the first mug of tea, then move on to checking email, news headlines, etc. with the second cup.  A walk comes next – the dogs love their morning walk across the Haw River and then up along the edge of the lake.  When I get home I feed the dogs, and then I’m ready to eat, take a shower, and get on with my day.  This is a very typical morning – these habits and patterns are deeply ingrained, and have been for years.

So I wonder, is there anything in my morning routine (beyond my morning devotion) that points to the existence of God?  Or do I also spend much of my life living as if God does not exist? 

Anyone could have a routine like this – Christian or non-Christian.  For a brief moment I thought, “God’s existence really doesn’t make any difference in my morning routine.”  But as I continued to reflect on this week, the thing that struck me is the underlying posture of gratitude that accompanies each part of the routine.  The morning rub-downs are a time to give thanks to God for putting these animals in my life (yes, even the cat!).  The morning tea is a time to give thanks to God for my dad who so graciously supplies me with good Canadian tea (and to give thanks to God for good Canadian tea!).  My walks give me time to thank God for creating such a beautiful world and they give me time to pray.  These prayers can take many forms – from earnest petitions for those I love to singing praises to God to simply listening for God – depending on my mood.  And when I get home I give thanks for shelter, food, and the ability to delve into the tasks that lie ahead of me.  A posture of gratitude.

On mornings when I am more grumpy than grateful, it is the pattern that moves me toward gratitude.  The cat’s soft fur relieves some of the ache in my hands.  The dog’s wet kisses and whacking tails can’t help but bring a smile (dogs really do have this way of loving unconditionally).  The tea warms and cheers.  The devotion opens up God’s word to me, encouraging and inspiring me.  And the walk – especially the walk in Saxapahaw – brings glimpses of God’s glory.  A blue heron, a red fox, a white tail deer, a brown squirrel.  By the time I am ready to delve into my day, I have been repeatedly confronted by just how good God is to me.  I am able to embrace a posture of gratitude for another day – a posture that says loudly and clearly, “God exists!”  More than that, this God, who revealed Himself so profoundly through Jesus Christ, loves me – even me, in all my brokenness.

A posture of gratitude is such a simple act of worship – one that can connect me to the living God day in and day out assuring me that God not only exists but is powerfully present with me.  So with the Psalmist, I sing:

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.

–Psalm 107:1

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[1] Dan Harris & Wonbo Woo, “Atheist Ministers Struggle with Leading the Faithful,” ABC World News (November 9, 2010). Online: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/atheist-ministers-leading-faithful/story?id=12004359).

[2] Stanley Hauerwas, Hannah’s Child: A Theologian’s Memoir (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2010), 159.