I don’t know what it is about a church, but I seem to take better notes when I am inside of those sanctuary doors. Maybe it has something to do with the calmness that I find as I sit in the cushioned chairs that have replaced the pews, it could be the fact that my pen is lighter with a constant positive word in the back of my mind or it could be that I just find myself more attentive when there is no unnecessary noise in my ears.

Regardless, on my last visit of relaxation and rejuvenation, I found my pen working towards what was being said around me; it is usually simply finding my own interpretation of the truth that is being spoken.

It was the service following the Thanksgiving holiday and the pastor wanted people to share, if they felt led to, about what they are thankful for.

I was expecting this to be another cliché moment in the church where people give an array of conservative responses that make others feel even more uncomfortable about their own faith and lifestyle.

Luckily or unluckily, I found myself surprised by those bleeding even more than I was in this year of tough times and change, for better or worse.

It was hard for me to listen to some stories that people spoke so honestly, and at the same time humbly, of being in a place that they would never wish for anyone to be put.

There were those who had found themselves in financial need and found it hard to see the abundant list of things that they had to be thankful for on a daily basis.

Those speaking were not na’ve to what was going on around them and spoke in a manner that made that clearly understood.

One person who spoke seemed to stick with as they said, “I am so glad we have a God that never slumbers.” At first that seemed like such an awkward way of putting it because of course God never slumbers.

That is kind of unfortunate on his part though considering he never got the opportunity to buy a nice set of sheets.

Then again, when you go back and take another look at those words and examine that statement, they seem to have different meaning today.

It is hard to imagine going a day without having a true understanding of all the “things” that we should be thankful for, but we do.

Then, it is even harder to imagine a God that never sleeps and yet we still don’t feel like he is always there, but we do.

It seemed to me that after listening to these people speak about their hard times and being so blunt about their situations, I would feel more at ease because I did not feel alone for once in the church, but that was still not the case.

This idea of being thankful comes back to being consistent on a daily basis and not just when the holiday season pleads for it to happen.

It is kind of like how taking notes is easiest when I am in the pew/cushioned chair.

That is one of the places where I feel most comfortable and so I do it there. I don’t always take notes when I am eating or even in class, because it doesn’t feel right.

Maybe being thankful doesn’t always feel right or like something that needs to be done.

I write and take notes when I want to and it is convenient, maybe I should do it more than just those times because they are few and far between.

What if we approached thankfulness of various levels with that same approach?

I mean, it isn’t an overnight thing but as corny as it is, the process is sometimes the most rewarding part.

That is just a thought from a pinheaded economist-in-training.

Author