“It has often been in my heart to write a short account to leave behind me of the Lord’s gracious dealings with me, and of the great mercies, which in His infinite love, He has freely bestowed upon me, far beyond my deserts or expectation, to my great joy and consolation. Praises, thanks, glory, honor and renown, be given and ascribed unto Him; for He alone is worthy, God over all, blessed forever, amen.”
“So every man, according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver, (mark, a cheerful giver,) and God is able to make all grace abound towards you, that ye always having all-sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work, as is written, “He hath dispersed abroad, he hath given to the poor, his righteousness remaineth forever;” mark! now he that ministereth seed to the sower, both ministereth bread for your food, and multiplies your seed sown, and increaseth the fruits of your righteousness. Isa. 4:10. and 2 Cor. 9:7-10. Being enriched in every good thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.”
“It was during my nine-year stay in Australia that I first experienced Quakerism. The communal silence of Quaker worship was such a gift, as was the evolving friendship and kindness of those who sat with me. I was painfully aware of my inability to offer a monetary gift as an expression of gratitude for my spiritual nourishment. And so it was with relief that I learned that, though Quakers don’t pass a collection plate, they do pass committee sign-up sheets. There were no paid employees organizing worship times, cleaning the meetinghouse, or managing the records. There was only a community of willing hands. My skills had found a home… Like God, gratitude is a verb. At least, that’s how I experience it.”
“Let us visualize practicing gratitude as a well-crafted testimony of our intentions and aspirations. This is something that can have a strong impact on our individual selves as well as in our society. On a personal level, for example, when we are grateful for the gifts that others have given or shared with us, we create space for better relationships based on mutual support and care. This is also an opportunity for confronting our limitations and for setting the stage for change.”
“Over the course of my years of Quaker worship I have learned that certain attitudes help me into worship – particularly humility and gratitude. Gratitude is easy; I can think of all that I am thankful for, and that’s probably the best way into worship on a difficult, distracted day. By humility I don’t mean grovelling and feeling awful about myself. It means, simply, remembering that I am not in charge, that I do not know what should happen (either in the meeting or beyond it) and so I am listening intently.”
“This way of seeing our Father in everything makes life one long thanksgiving and gives a rest of heart, and, more than that, a gayety of spirit, that is unspeakable.”
“Gratitude is not, strictly speaking, one of the commonly cited Quaker values. But, when we engage in gratitude, we engage more deeply with the Quaker values we do hold. When we are grateful for the actions or kindnesses of others around us, we are more connected to Community, and more invested in it. When we are grateful for the natural world, we notice and connect to it, and can be more interested its Stewardship. When we stop to be grateful for the roof over our heads, we have awareness and empathy for those without this blessing in their lives and can re-commit ourselves to Service.”
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
“In my religious community, the Quakers, there are many different understandings of God, and some might not even believe in a God, as such. From that perspective, the God in question is an inner experience, the love and connection felt between people, maybe a metaphor which could help me to live a better life. With God within and alongside rather than above, there would be no actual giver for the gift. But I still feel gratitude.”
“When I go up to kiss my sleeping children and linger with them, in quietness and love, that is prayer. There is a wordless unity of God, myself, my children, a sense of gratitude and reverence, awareness of my need for strength, shame for my failings, a promise to try again.”
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