Psalm 116

Reflect on voice. Appreciate the freedom and ability to speak. To express yourself. Or to opt for silence.

            Listen for the differences in people’s accents and dialects. Take meaning from tones of voice. Appreciate quiet and stillness. Cherish speech and conversation.

            The spoken Word is another metaphor for the life of Christ and the presence of the Spirit during creation. In our origin story in the Bible, the spoken Word blows like a wind, sweeping across unformed chaos, to catalyze the formation of the world and its beings.

            Spirit also blows through our lives and communities, making us restless. Active. Expressive. Creative. Communicative. Connected.

            Give thanks for voices and words. — Rev Gail

I love the Lord, because he has heard
    my voice and my supplications.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
    therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
— Psalm 116

… there shall once more be heard the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord: “Give thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” — Jeremiah 33

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. — John F. Kennedy

‘Gratitude’ comes from the same word as freedom (gratis = free). Gratitude is the freeing expression of a free heart toward one who freely gave.  — Ravi Zacharias

In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it’s wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices. — Elizabeth Gilbert