Psychotherapist Explores the Deeper Meaning of Gratitude Through Conversations He Believed Came from a Higher Source

Dr. Pieter Noomen's reflections on thankfulness offer a thought-provoking perspective for November, a month when gratitude takes center stage.

Although he passed away in 2019, Dr. Noomen’s work continues to inspire those seeking meaning, peace and heartfelt change.

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, November 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Gratitude often takes the form of a simple “thank you,” a kind word or a moment of appreciation when life takes a welcome turn. But what if thankfulness meant more than acknowledging a favor or celebrating good fortune? What if it reflected something deeper about the way people live?

The late Dr. Pieter Noomen, a psychotherapist who worked in suicide prevention and hospice care and served as a senior minister for several Protestant churches, believed he had experienced that deeper meaning through conversations with “I AM,” the name he said God used to refer to Himself/Herself. Noomen believed the divine was not gender-specific and documented these conversations in thousands of writings before his death in 2019. His reflections remain freely available on his website, www.wordsforall.org.

In one transcription, I AM offers a perspective on gratitude that reaches beyond the familiar exchange of thanks:

“Succeeding in even one tiny endeavor can become a reminder of the greater feat, which is, that you can be on your way, as all can be, to reflect more of My nature. You see how this sheds an unfamiliar but lasting light on gratitude and thankfulness?

“I do not ask you to be grateful to Me, like I won’t thank you when you are ‘good.’ Gratitude is more than a feeling. You may say all happy progression embodies it. Among people, gratitude is expressed with familiar gestures and praising words.

“In close and warm relationships, expressing appreciation deepens joy and trust. Yet between Me and you, between Me and all before Me, it can create distance. Between Us, thankfulness isn’t based on what I do or did for you, or you for Me. It’s rooted in the journey we share. I progress through you, as you through Me. Therefore, gratitude equals being in life!”

The reflection invites readers to consider gratitude not simply as a response to what goes well, but as part of the experience of being alive and growing. That perspective may be especially meaningful during a season when expressions of thankfulness are common, yet recognizing something to appreciate can be difficult for those facing hardship.

In another entry from his Wisdoms of the Week, Dr. Noomen shared a poignant example of finding gratitude amid suffering:

“Gratitude can be something ‘in general.’ Yet, thanking for some specific thing can go to the core of who we are. Once, someone bedridden and suffering told me she looked for something, anything she still could be grateful for. For her, it was the pillow she could put her head on. Realistic? Yes! In every darkness is somewhere a flicker of light. Even if ‘only’ in our spirit.”

For Dr. Noomen, gratitude did not require ideal circumstances or deny life’s difficulties. Sometimes, it began with something as ordinary as a pillow, offering a reminder that even in the darkest moments, something may remain worth appreciating.

More of Dr. Noomen’s writings on gratitude, spirituality and the human experience are available free of charge at www.wordsforall.org.

ABOUT DR. PIETER NOOMEN
Born in the Netherlands, Dr. Pieter Noomen completed doctoral studies in theology and pastoral psychology at the Free University of Amsterdam and became senior minister of three Protestant churches. Later, he worked as a psychotherapist and staff member at a Los Angeles church and became involved in mental health issues like suicide prevention and hospice.

Trish Stevens/Gloria Gonzalez
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