Gratitude has been on my mind quite a bit lately. Last week, I preached a sermon on the subject at my church, so I’ve been thinking a lot about how important it is to remain thankful even during these difficult times.

I think that we each struggle with gratitude in one of two ways. Some of us aren’t good at practicing thanks when things are going well. We get caught up in the excitement, we get swept up by the praise, and we want to give ourselves all the credit. That can be a major hindrance to gratitude.

That’s never really been my problem, though. I suffer from the opposite, as I’m sure some of you do. When things are difficult or not going my way, that’s when my struggle with gratitude starts. I can become so focused on the things that worry or bother me that I don’t take time to recognize all the good things going on in my life.

Spending some time studying gratitude was a good reminder for me. It made me aware of how important it is to be thankful for the life I have, whether it’s easy at any given moment or not.

So for this week’s blog post, I thought I’d share a few things that I’m thankful for and encourage you to do the same. Gratitude is something we shouldn’t be afraid to share. It’s not bragging about what we have; it’s celebrating what we’ve been blessed with and inviting others to share in that joy and express their own.

Here are a few things I’m thankful for right now:

My family will always be at the top this list. I’m so thankful for the life that Katherine and I share, and the fact that we get to share it with our beloved dog Winter and all of our extended family. I’m glad we live near them all and get to see them often. I have a lot of love in my life, and that’s the best thing I could ever ask for.
Of course, I’m very grateful for my job at the church and the ability to work to provide for myself and my family. I’m blessed to be in ministry doing what I feel called to do. Serving God through technology is my favorite thing to do, and I’m grateful that it’s also my career.
Especially in times like these, I’m thankful that my family and I have enough to get by. We don’t live lavishly by any means. But the fact that we can be comfortable without having to worry about how we’re going to cover our bills is a huge blessing that I never want to take for granted.
My friends are an endless source of joy in my life and give me so much to be thankful for. Whether they’re people I grew up, met while I was in school, go to church with, or only know from our online conversations, I’m so thankful for each and every one of them.
A lot of people have invested their time and wisdom in me over the years. For all of my mentors, I am forever grateful.
I’m thankful for technology and all of the opportunities its given me to learn, express myself, and help others. The 21st century and I were made for each other, and I’m glad I get to enjoy all of our modern marvels.

Of course, I could go on and on. It wouldn’t make for the best blog post, but it is good for me. When I start to make a list like this, I quickly realize that I have so many things in my life to be grateful for. So many beautiful things.

Does that make difficult times easier? I’d like to think so, at least a little bit. Nothing can protect us from the harshness of life, but a grateful heart can keep us grounded and hopeful. I believe we need that.

The truth is that gratitude isn’t even really an optimistic practice. It’s the most realistic worldview there is. It gives the bad days context and keeps us from getting swallowed up by them. Because no matter how dark life might seem, there’s always more light than darkness if we simply look hard enough. It’s up to us to choose if we want to seek it out or not.

One last thing I’m thankful for before I go: you. Thank you for reading this blog and making it what it is. I know I haven’t posted as much as usual; there are a lot of different reasons for that. But writing these articles for you is a true joy, and I’m so glad that I’m able to do it. Thank you again.

Now that you’ve heard from me, I’d like to know what you’re grateful for. Expressing gratitude is good for us, so let’s do it together. Let me know in the comments or on social media what you’re thankful for today. I can’t wait to hear from you.

I’ll talk to you again soon. Stay safe out there, friends.