Gratitude is the best medicine

They say laughter is the best medicine, but I say gratitude is essential for total health and healing. 

Since moving to Hawaii, I’ve made it a point to do something new and adventurous for my birthday. You know, to keep me young and all.  The first year I went shark cage diving, another time I went on a glider ride.  And this year, I went on a kayak adventure.  That’s right, I traveled by myself to Kailua to make this great expedition  kayaking to small Moku islands, 2 miles  off the coast of the north shore.  We had a guide and fortunately there was someone else traveling by herself  in our group that I got paired up with so I wouldn’t have to kayak alone in one boat. 

I was very excited but as the safety instructions were being given, I started to get nervous.

‘If a wave comes toward you, head directly into it.  Do not swerve or put boat to its side as this will  surely cause the wave to tip you and your kayak over’. Wait, can that happen? What are the wind and wave conditions like today anyway?  Oh why did I have to come out on this windy day?  And Will I be strong enough to carry that kayak from the shore to the water?’    I was starting to let these anxious thoughts ruin my fabulous adventure of a day.  

Many times, these anxious thoughts can get the best of us, causing us to miss out on enjoying the moment.    The holidays is a common time for this.   When we should be counting our blessings but instead, worrying about that perfect gift or party to plan or event to schedule or someone to see . 

All of us experience some anxiety.  It’s human nature but others are unfortunate to experience this to highest degree in forms of depression or anxiety disorder.    I have had my struggles with anxiety and still do.  I’ve had the worst postpartum anxiety/depression after I had my second son, going into residency.  I’ve experienced a drug induced psychosis and the depression and anxiety of coming down from a hallucinogenic,  or some recreational drug (didn’t quite know what I was always taking at the time).   And experienced the depression of withdrawing from alcohol.    Grateful to have survived it all through the grace of God, my family and supportive friends.  However, there are those that experience this as a medical condition.    Yes, even believers/Christians are not immune to this as I’ve seen in my practice. Many still struggle with depression and anxiety where treatment or medicine is indicated.  Many behavioral health providers will use a method called cognitive behavioral therapy to treat a wide range of issues such as depression, anxiety , obsessive compulsive disorder and phobias. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy that emphasizes the important role of our thoughts and how they direct our feelings and behaviors.  It helps those clients to identify and change those destructive thought patterns that have influenced their lives in a negative way. 

But did you know CBT is biblically supported? 

Philippians chapter 4 already describes this method.  Paul writes do not be anxious , How? By Prayer and thanksgiving, thanksgiving! giving thanks to God. So the first step is to pray , but also be thankful.   I often prescribe keeping a gratitude journal to my patients as a form of therapy to draw one out of those anxious thoughts. 

The promise and blessing that comes with this is that we will experience the peace of God.

Then Paul urges us to think and focus our minds and thoughts on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable.  Just like in CBT, thoughts are being redirected.  These are also praiseworthy qualities that also reflect the nature of Jesus.   Some of us allow the world to fill our minds with ungodly thinking.  Some of us choose to be negative focusing on what can go wrong (much like I did that day) or pessimistic as we see the waves of the pressures of life heading towards us.   When we are thankful, our thoughts turn from the negative and are redirected toward the positive.   It is important for us to keep our mind focused on the Word, the promises of God and be ever thankful in every situation.  

My kayaking adventure  turned out wonderful to say the least and honestly what is an adventure without some trepidation, some feeling of the unknown?   The conditions were gorgeous. My guide and partner were with me.  I was happy to learn my partner had some experience kayaking in summers of her youth with her family on the rapids.  The moku islands (see above in pic) were  gorgeous.  We saw turtles while snorkeling off the coast. We had fun hiding from the sudden downpour of rain into a crevice  just so we can eat our lunch semi dry. 

And even though , there were some lively 2 - 3 foot waves, making us work hard to get to our destination, We did NOT tip over!   Yay!  There was much to be grateful for.

Tis true, life will not always give us perfect conditions.   We will struggle and face hardship.  Many of us have faced difficult circumstances: death of loved one, cancer, broken relationships, loss of job.   Being thankful doesn’t doesn’t downplay these things or disregard the harsh realities.   We redirect our thoughts but we don’t turn away from that wave.   It  means in EVERY circumstance, the highs and lows we are still grateful.  And when  the conditions get tough,  we face the wave head on, and cling to the oar that is Jesus.  And he promises to keep us from tipping over and missing the beauty of life around us. 

If laughter is the best medicine, then gratitude is the best preventative medicine. 

So if you feel the pressures of the holidays or life getting to you, don’t forget to take your gratitude vitamin —-make that gratitude journal, spend time in the Word and cling to Jesus to keep you afloat and take in that beautiful view around you. 

Thank you for letting me share. Sober for 4 years, 4 months and 20 days, hopeful for another day more.