Gratitude Journal Entry
God, thank You for creating me.
I think this gratitude journal is working. Yes, this entry is coming out later than usual, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be writing these words today—not just as a statement, but as something I truly feel. (This isn’t completely true. I hoped I could one day say it authentically. But I wasn’t holding my breath. Still, I wanted to convey that this is a big jump.)
I have always known that God has a plan for me. I know that life is a gift. I know God loves me. And I hope and pray that others recognize that same truth in their own lives—that they, too, feel the joy of being alive, created, and loved. But sometimes, there is a disconnect between knowing and feeling.
Something about me—whether it’s low-grade depression, high-grade depression, humility, or a distorted view of life—has always made it hard to say, "God, thank You for creating me," and fully mean it. I assume I’ve said those words before—because I believed them in theory, because they fit the moment, because they align with my faith. But today, I say them with sincerity. Today, I mean them.
What changed? I’m not entirely sure. Maybe it’s the act of writing these gratitude entries, forcing me to pause and reflect. Is life what I expected? No. But I believe I am doing the work I am called to do. I believe I have a wonderful family. I believe I am surrounded by good people.
I hope, as I always have, that people find joy, pride, and happiness in knowing that God created them. If you haven’t thought about it, maybe begin to.
As I continue this gratitude process, I think about the people I have been fortunate enough to interact with—through school, sports, teaching, preaching, work, and friendships. I know the positive impact these experiences have had on my life. And it’s silly, but until maybe today, I didn’t fully grasp that if they have had this impact on me, surely I have had some positive impact on them as well.
Now, before you have me committed for my crazy behavior in the past—life was good. Life is good. Yes, I’m sure this disordered thinking had some negative impact on my life. But life wasn’t bad. Life just had the possibility of being better. And I believe life is better now because I have a deeper appreciation of being created by God.
And today, in the depths of my soul, I am truly grateful to be here.