Just say Thank You

Based on an Epiphany

I will never forget last year when I was out of work for about four months.

It felt like everything had suddenly stopped. I’d wake up in the morning, eat something, and spend most of my day reading just to keep my mind occupied.

I’m not going to talk about the job applications, the interviews, or the endless waiting. I want to talk about something else, the weight of those ordinary days.

Every morning felt heavy.

My savings were slowly running out, and truthfully, I didn’t have anyone I could comfortably ask for help. I’d just moved into my own place and spent a significant amount of money getting it set up. There wasn’t much left.

One morning, I woke up exhausted mentally. I remember saying, “God, I’m tired of feeling this way.”

And almost immediately, I heard these words so clearly:

“Rest now. The busy days are coming.”

So I did.

I kept living. I kept reading. I strengthened my mind. I exercised. I tried not to let anxiety consume me.

Then, just like that, the busy days came.

Ironically, I found myself doing what I’d always done whenever work became overwhelming , subtle complains.

“I’m so tired.”

It’s funny how quickly we forget.

When life becomes difficult, we focus so much on what we’re missing that gratitude disappears. Then when life becomes full again, we become so consumed by the pressure that gratitude disappears again.

Somewhere in between, we forget that this was once the very thing we prayed for.

As Christians, we’re told, “In everything give thanks.” I’ll admit that’s easier to read than it is to live. I often forget it myself.

I forget that there was a version of me who desperately wanted the opportunities I have today.

If someone had asked that version of me whether I could handle the workload, I would have laughed and said, “Bring it on.”

Now that the opportunities are here, it’s easy to complain about the stress, the deadlines, the long days, and the exhaustion.

But maybe gratitude isn’t something we practice only when life is easy.

Maybe it’s something we choose, especially when life is full.

Let’s remember to thank God not only for answered prayers but for the opportunities we once begged Him for.

And let’s remember to be grateful to the people around us too.

Friends and family have a way of becoming such a constant presence in our lives that we accidentally begin to take them for granted. A simple text saying, “Thank you for always showing up for me,” can mean more than we realize.

People want to know they’re seen.

Maybe gratitude looks like sending that message you’ve been meaning to send. Maybe it looks like buying someone lunch. Maybe it’s acknowledging the person who consistently recommends you for opportunities or checks in when no one else does.

The gesture doesn’t have to be grand. It just has to be genuine.

Gratitude isn’t meant to be a reaction reserved for milestones. It should be a habit, regardless of the situation. A habit that changes how we see our lives, our work, and the people who walk through it with us.

I’ll leave you with 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18:

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

So practice gratitude.

Live it.

Breathe it.