17th January 2024

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures for ever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
those he redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.

Psalm 107

Our first time@tyndale evening of 2024 was led by Sam who got us talking about gratitude. He talked about the way that people who live in the world’s “Blue Zones” live in a spirit of having their glass half full (rather than half empty) and that they are grateful for their blessings which are often modest by western standards. It seems that they are rewarded for their sunny disposition and their simple lifestyles by living long, contented lives.

The Blue Zones website is very interesting, but I could find little on it directly about faith. However, I do find that an approach of gratitude is a way of kindling a faith whose glow often seems feeble. I have so much to be grateful for and, ultimately, I have to be grateful to my creator. I am certain that living life in a spirit of gratitude rather than a spirit of entitlement makes me a better person and I believe that it keeps me closer to God.

Nick Parsons