Grumpiness and Gratitude: Tuesday's Reflection

A group of us recently attended the Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and if you are in the area before August 18, I hope you will plan to see this. Check for information here. I hope to visit the exhibit a second time, for there is so much to absorb and appreciate. 

I imagine I will write more about this exhibit later, but I am taking a different direction today, based on something one of the artist's said. She said her grandmother is "grumpy" if beading isn't part of her day. 

Later, one in our group asked each of us what makes us grumpy if we don't do it each day. What a great question! One woman said not being able to take a walk would make her grumpy and another laughed and said, "eating," as she reached for cheese and crackers on the coffee table. The conversation moved quickly into another topic before everyone had a chance to respond, but my answer was on the tip of my tongue.

                                READING!

Most days I read during my meditation/devotion hour. I read as I eat lunch. When I am at my desk, I may stop to read something that relates to what I am writing. I move into the snug and read at the end of my work day before fixing dinner. In the evening if we aren't binging on a Netflix series, I return to the snug for more reading, and, of course, I read in bed before turning off the light. 

Reading is a spiritual practice, a form of rest and relaxation, and an avenue of learning and growth and pleasure, and an impetus and basis for action. And I would definitely be grumpy if I didn't have some reading time each day. 

So here's what I am reading right now.
1. Light the Dark, Writers on Creativity, Inspiration, and the Artistic Process, edited by Joe Fassler. Favorite line so far--said in an essay by Elizabeth Gilbert, "My path as a writer became much more smooth when I learned, when things aren't going well, to regard my struggles as curious, not tragic."

2.  The Time is Now, A Call to Uncommon Courage by Joan Chittister. Favorite line so far quotes Dorothy Day, "We can throw our pebble in the pond and be confident that its ever widening circle will reach around the world."

3.  Emmett Till, The Murder that Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement by Devery S. Anderson. Not an easy read in terms of content, but well-written and compelling. As when I read Taylor Branch's Parting the Waters, America in the King Years, 1954-1963 before going on a Civil Rights Tour last fall, I am in this for the long haul. 

4.  More Together Than Alone, Discovering the Power and Spirit of Community in Our Lives and in the World by one of my heroes, Mark Nepo. I am reading this like a daily devotional, only a couple pages at a sitting. I read this line recently about poor tribes in Kenya who declare, "We push our problems into the center of the circle and lift them up together with love."

5.  The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan, who wrote the charming The Chilbury Ladies' Choir. This is my "cleanse the palate" book. I have read several challenging novels this summer, including Washington Black by Esi Edugyan, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong and Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli, and occasionally, I need to breathe lighter. This book set during WWII in London features the mighty Mrs Braithwaite, a village busybody, who quite surprisingly finds herself  in the midst of a spying enterprise. A perfect read for the beach, the hammock, or in my case, my "Paris" garden. 

What's next? The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead.

I hope you've been thinking about what makes you grumpy if not part of your normal day, but here's a corollary question. What is on your gratitude list most days? 

Of course, there are the special pleasures that appear on your gratitude list, like being able to turn off the AC and open the windows after a siege of hot temperatures or receiving a loving email from a friend about one of my blog posts, but right now, think about what keeps appearing on your gratitude list. 
                         Good health
                         Love of spouse and family and friends
                         Our pastors and congregation
                         Space and time in which to do the work that matters
                               to me
I could go on--for I have a long list. Making this list, however, is not just a way to thank God for my many blessings, but it also a way to keep what is important front and center in my life. These items invite me to live my values, to act on what is important to me.

In a way, awareness of what makes me grumpy pairs perfectly with my gratitude list, for they both help define my priorities, and they both lead to actions. Both questions are part of an ongoing discernment process in my life. 

One last note: every Sunday we sing the following words before receiving communion and each Sunday they stir my heart and move me to tears.
                    In the singing, in the silence, 
                    in the hands expectant, open,
                    in the blessing, in the breaking, 
                    in your presence at this table,
                    in the question, in the answer, 
                    in the moment of acceptance
                    in the heart's cry, in the healing,
                    in the circle of your people.

Now, silently, I will add, 
                     in your grumpiness
                     in your gratitude.

                                    Amen.

An Invitation
You knew this was coming. What makes you grumpy, if you don't do it each day? What is on your gratitude list every day? I would love to know.