Gratitude for the Small Things
In the Christian community thankfulness is just what it is anywhere else in the Christian life. Only he who gives thanks for little things receives the big things. We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts He has in store for us, because we do not give thanks for daily gifts. We think we dare not be satisfied with the small measure of spiritual knowledge, experience, and love that has been given to us, and that we must constantly be looking forward eagerly for the highest good.
Then we deplore the fact that we lack the deep certainty, the strong faith, and the rich experience that God has given to others, and we consider this lament to be pious. We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts. How can God entrust great things to one who will not thankfully receive from Him the little things?
—Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together
In a world that constantly pushes us to seek more, higher, and greater, it’s easy to overlook the quiet graces of each day. Bonhoeffer reminds us that in the Christian life, thankfulness is not just a virtue—it’s a gateway. When we fail to give thanks for the small gifts of spiritual insight, daily provision, or simple companionship, we unknowingly close our hands to the larger blessings God longs to give. It is in cherishing the “ordinary” that our souls are trained to receive the extraordinary.
Instead of lamenting what we lack, what if we paused to thank God for what we already have? A whispered prayer. A timely word of encouragement. A moment of peace. These aren’t scraps from God’s table—they are the bread of His presence. When we learn to receive the small things with grateful hearts, we discover they weren’t small at all. Gratitude enlarges our faith and readies us for the deeper things of God. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics