“When Gratitude Brings You Back Home”
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude. Not the cute kind you put on a coffee mug — the real kind. The kind that wakes you up when life feels heavy and reminds you that God has already carried you through worse.
A few days ago my car blew a head gasket. Out here in the country, eight miles from town, that’s not just an inconvenience — that’s isolation. It’s easy to let your mind wander into frustration, self‑pity, or that old familiar voice that says, “See, nothing ever works out for you.”
But then I remembered something… When I was drinking, there were long stretches where I didn’t even have a car. I walked. I begged rides. I drifted. I survived on fumes and chaos. So maybe I’ve gotten a little lazy. Maybe I’ve forgotten how far God has brought me.
Gratitude has a way of snapping you back into truth.
I’ve been sober a long time, but I never forget this: One drink puts me right back on the death boat. And I refuse to climb back on.
So how do I keep my mind in check? I sit still. I clear my mind. I breathe. I wait.
It’s not easy. Your thoughts will fight you at first. But if you’re patient, your mind will calm with you. You let everything go — the stress, the noise, the fear — and you just think space. And in that space, I hear the Spirit speak. Not loud. Not dramatic. Just steady. Just enough.
It feels like a restart. A reboot of the spirit inside you.
Because here’s the truth: If your inner spirit is out of alignment, your whole spiritual system gets thrown off. There’s a void inside you waiting for you to slow down and catch up to peace.
An old‑timer taught me this when I first got sober. And I’m not gonna lie — I still do it. Sometimes twice a day. As often as needed. It’s my life. It’s my peace. It’s my survival.
And here’s the lesson I keep coming back to:
I can’t control what other people do. But I can control how I react.
I’m a simple man. Not super smart. Not fancy. But I’ve got the Spirit of God guiding me. I’ve been chosen to be a vessel — not because I’m perfect, but because I’m willing. And if you’re a believer, that same Spirit runs through you too.
So today, even with a blown engine and a long walk to town, I’m grateful. Grateful for sobriety. Grateful for peace. Grateful for the quiet country roads where God still whispers.
And grateful that He’s not done with me yet.
Scripture for Today
“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10
Stillness isn’t weakness. It’s where strength is rebuilt.
Lesson to Carry
When life feels out of control, return to the one thing you can control — your reaction. Slow down. Be still. Let your spirit reboot. Gratitude will always bring you back home.
