Gratitude in the Worst of Times

It’s been about a year since I released my last devotional, which means it’s about time to unleash a new one into the world! At the end of last year, as I was thinking and praying about this, I decided that gratitude was the perfect topic to focus on. At first, I was going to launch it in November because that just seemed like the logical thing to do. But the more that I thought about it, the more I realized how faulty that logic was. Being thankful is in style no matter the season.

So I revised my plan: I was going to launch my devotional on gratitude in the summer. It gave me enough time to get it edited and create a robust launch plan. I was determined that this was going to be my best launch yet. I got excited about the partnerships that I could develop with other bloggers and, most importantly, how God would be glorified as more people took the time to intentionally sit and express gratitude.

Then we were hit by a global pandemic.

Doubt began to creep into my mind and the lies began to swirl around in my mind.
No one is going to buy a book during a pandemic.
No one cares about what you have to say during a global crisis.
People are so focused on their own lives, they don’t want to read your book on gratitude.
(My inner-monologue can be a real charmer.)

In the face of all of this, I’ve been focusing on three things: gratitude, persistence, and grace.

Gratitude in the face of ________________.

This season has been an incredible opportunity to put some of the things that I’ve written about into practice. I don’t pursue gratitude just because I’ve written a book about it, but because I serve a good God who loves me and gives good gifts to his children. I’m grateful for strength and perseverance when giving up is easier. I’m thankful that he’s with me, even on the days when I’d rather be left alone. And I’m immensely grateful for the people he’s given me even if we can only connect digitally at the moment.

What is one thing you are grateful for today?

Persistence in the face of ________________.

This will be my third time going through the book launch process with one of my books and, I must say, I don’t think I felt this defeated before starting with the other two. The first one I was nervous, the second one I was trepidatious, but with this one I am, quite honestly, fearful and unsure. As a result, I’ve had to go continually back to God and ask for his wisdom and guidance with this. The peace he has given me has helped me to persist when it would be much easier to throw in the towel and say that we’ll try again later.

What gives you the courage to persist in the face of doubt, fear, or uncertainty?

Grace in the face of ________________.

I really thought this was going to be a perfect book launch. If you’re smiling at your screen or chuckling to yourself, I get it. As a recovering perfectionist, I know that perfection is not attainable. Yet, I found my mind drifting there. I felt so confident in a plan that I have worked before and helped others navigate successfully. I was ready to take all of that knowledge and put it to good use. But this launch isn’t going to follow my plan. I’m not 100% sure what it’s going to look like, which means I have to trust God and give myself grace.

What does giving yourself grace practically look like?

We’re living through some difficult times right now. Our entire world is working through a collective trauma, and yet, I believe that we can find opportunities to be grateful. In fact, I wonder if a foundation of gratitude will help us persist in the face of obstacles and aid us as we give grace to ourselves and others.

How do you think gratitude influences your life?

How have your plans shifted due to COVID-19?

To go Deeper: Read Growing Gratitude by Digging Deep, Dismantling Perfectionism
Check out Thankful, now available on Amazon! 

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