Fully Human, Fully Grateful

A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble

“Let us be the best embodiment of a human being being fully human.” — Margaret Wheatley, Restoring Sanity

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Photo by Rainier Ridao on Unsplash

Once upon a time, the famed Tannaic sage Rabbi Akiva was travelling alone. He came to a certain town and sought lodging there, but they refused to host him. Instead of growing frustrated or upset, Rabbi Akiva simply said: Gam zu l’tovah”—“This, too, is for good.”

Lacking other options, he went and slept in a field. He had with him a rooster, a donkey and a candle. While he was there, a strong gust of wind extinguished the candle, then a wild cat came and devoured the rooster. And finally, a lion attacked and consumed the donkey. Once again, Rabbi Akiva simply exclaimed: Gam zu l’tovah”—“This, too, is for good”.

That night, a legion of soldiers marched on the town and took it into captivity. Rabbi Akiva no longer had a candle, rooster or donkey to give away his location, so he evaded capture. Rabbi Akiva said: Is it not as I have always told you – Gam zu l’tovah”—“This, too, is for good.” (Berachot 60b)

This is not a story about denying the grief, the pain, or the very real injustices we witness in our world. But it is a gentle whisper to look again, to ask if there is still beauty beneath the rubble. Still grace in the ache. Still goodness in the breath we take right now.

In her book Grateful, Diana Butler Bass writes that gratitude is not about having everything we want. It’s about noticing what we do have, and opening ourselves to the possibility that life is still a gift, even when it’s hard.

This kind of gratitude is not polite or performative. It doesn’t require denial. It requires depth. It calls us to stand in the middle of the storm and say: “There is still love. Still light. Still something to be thankful for.”

To be fully human is not to be unfailingly cheerful. It is to be rooted, aware, and responsive. It is to allow joy to take up space beside sorrow. It is to choose love again and again, even when it hurts.

Gratitude doesn’t just soften us. It strengthens us. It pulls us out of isolation and into communion, with one another, with the Earth, and with the Sacred.

What if this week, instead of rushing through our days or numbing our way through the chaos, we paused and gave thanks for one thing , however small, however fragile? A warm drink. A kind word. A moment of peace. These become the thread that stitches us back together.

Let us be, as my teacher and friend, Meg Wheatley, says, “the best embodiment of a human being being fully human.” Creative. Grateful. Generous. Loving…always loving.

We are in this together,

Cameron

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Reflection Questions

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1. What have you recently lost that still aches—and can you name anything in it that shaped or protected you?

2. Where are you being invited to practice radical gratitude, even when it’s hard?

3. What does it mean to you to be “fully human” in this moment?

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A Prayer for the Day

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A Prayer For Grateful Presence

Holy One,

Teach me to pause—not only in awe, but in thankfulness.
When I am overwhelmed, steady me.
When I am numb, reawaken me.
When I am bitter, soften me with wonder.
Let me be human in the most sacred sense:
Tender. Awake. Grateful.
Not because all is well, but because this moment
—this breath, this life—is still a gift.

Amen.

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Spiritual Practice

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A Blessing Inventory

Today, take ten minutes to name five things that bless you—not because they’re perfect, but because they’re real.

Then, choose one of them and offer it a small act of gratitude:

• Write a note.

• Speak a blessing.

• Light a candle.

• Share it with someone else.

Let your gratitude move from thought into action. Let it shape how you show up in the world—fully human, fully alive.

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Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…

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July 19-24, 2026 - Join me and amazing co-facilitator, Victoria, on retreat in the back-country of beautiful Wyoming. The Art of Wilding is a 5-Day Expedition for Women Leaders. We will spend the week reconnecting to nature, exploring our inner landscapes for change, and engage the wisdom of spiritual teachings. Click here to learn more.

I drafted a Strategic Framework for Congregations as we move into the coming years of increased authoritarianism around the world. If interested, you can download it here.

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If you are a leader or member of a congregation looking for consulting support in visioning, planning, hiring or staffing, please consider Convergence.