Years ago, I read a story about a man who was required to change his password monthly at his work. He decided to make each month’s password into something that would reinforce a good habit. After all, he had to type the password several times a day, so why not make this an opportunity for personal growth?

During the first month, the password reminded him to forgive his ex-wife. Month two, it reminded him to quit smoking. The third month, he committed to saving for a trip to Thailand. All three worked for him.

I took this to heart, and thought about how I could use this in the life of my own family. When installing a new wi-fi network, I named it Write Thank You Notes, as my ever-so-gentle reminder to drop a note in the mail when someone sends us a gift, or when we’ve had the pleasure of a wonderful meal at someone’s home. I wondered if it was doing any good when one of my daughters asked me two days after Christmas where we kept the thank you notes. I was happy to hand them over.

Gratitude is a spiritual discipline – emphasis on discipline. What happens if we look for opportunities to say thank you every single day? I find myself thanking God quietly when I see a beautiful sunset, or get to talk to one of my daughters who are now away at college. I say thank you when someone holds a door for me, and every time a server brings me something during a restaurant dinner. Even if I’m mid-conversation, I make a point to acknowledge their work and say thank you, even if it’s just refilling a water glass. Their labors matter. They matter.

I say thanks to my husband when he picks me up at the airport, or when he fixes dinner, or does a million other things that show love. I should say it a lot more than I do.

What happens in our spiritual lives when we say thank you – and not just when we’re gathered around the Thanksgiving turkey in November? It gives us an opportunity to exercise that gratitude muscle, connect with God, and connect with each other.

It also happens to be a great practice for stewardship committees in congregations. This is a typical time of year for saying thank you to the congregation for filling out pledge cards, or whatever is your practice for your church.

But what about thanking the church when the choir worships God with incredible music at Christmas, just a brief thank you in the bulletin and from the pulpit, to say, “Our music ministry is funded by your generous gifts. We are so grateful to you for your continued support. Thank you.”

How about when there are special days in the life of the church – perhaps the day before a team leaves from the church for summer ministry – thank the church for their ongoing gifts that provide support for this team, their transportation, their lodging, as they are the hands and feet of Christ in the world?

Thank your church when your food pantry is successfully stocked during the winter months to help struggling families, and thank the church when Special Offerings are collected for their generous contributions. Thank the church anytime it occurs to you that those in the pews have funded the wonderful ministry that your church is doing.

What would happen if we looked daily for opportunities to say thank you – in our families, in our workplaces, our friendships, and the small business transactions we have every day? How long would it take until it was a way of life?

Just before I sat down to write this, I spotted a post on Facebook by my friend Troy, who is a beacon of positivity. He posted this: Today I learned about a term called a “glimmer.” Which is the opposite of a trigger. Glimmers are those moments in your day that make you feel joy, happiness, peace, or gratitude. Once you train your brain to be on the lookout for glimmers, these tiny moments will appear more and more.

Look for the glimmers. I love that.

There’s an awful lot of heaviness right now in the world. There’s a lot that can keep you up at night. But one of God’s greatest gifts is the opportunity to say thank you, and to look for the glimmers. The more you do this, the more you’ll see it, and the more opportunities you’ll have to say thank you.

Thank you for reading, and for being part of the PC(USA).