7th February 2022

Gratitude

BBC TV series “Doctor in the House” featured Dr Rangan Chatterjee being invited into the homes of families to try to understand the root causes of their presenting health conditions. His holistic approach piqued my interest and I’ve kept half an eye on his writing ever since.

Dr Chatterjee (and others interested in “wellbeing”) talk a fair bit about gratitude. Psychologists tell us that it’s all too easy to consume negative news stories to the point where we conclude that everything in the world, in life, is bad. However, research has shown that it is possible to counter this and rewire our brains to be more positive! One suggestion is that each day we write down or think about three things we’re grateful for that day. This is meant to help train our brains to look out for life’s positives.

For those living with depression, this could too easily sound trite or unhelpful, but I don’t think this is meant to be some sort of cure all. Christians have a long tradition of thinking of things to thank God for in their prayers, and some will have sung “Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done”.

Today I’m feeling thankful for Rachel, our Community Minister. As Rachel prepares to move on from Tyndale, we will miss her very much, but we also give thanks to God for her time with us – for the ways in which she has shown us God’s love and helped us to try and share that love with others; and for so much more.

Ruth Allen