Finding Peace Through Gratitude: A Reflection on Dear God

Lately, anxiety has had a way of creeping into my heart, making me question whether I have the strength to keep pushing forward. There have been days when exhaustion felt heavier than faith, when the weight of disappointment made gratitude seem distant. But then I heard Dear God again—not just as background music, but as a message I desperately needed.

The first line alone arrested me:

"It feels so good to make it this far, and I didn't think I could take it so long."

That’s exactly where I’ve been—worn, uncertain, wondering how I’ve even made it this far. And yet, I have. Not by my own strength, not by my own plans, but by grace.

Holding On Through the Hard Days

Norful sings about the moments when he wanted to quit, when he was sure this was the end. I know that feeling. There have been days when I felt stretched beyond my capacity, when I wondered if I had anything left to give. Days when loss, disappointment, or even just the unpredictability of life made me want to stop trying.

But the song reminds me: I held on.

Not because I was strong, but because God was near. The truth is, there have been moments I almost gave up, when I almost lost my way, when I almost let my fears drown out my faith. But God kept me.

And if I take a step back, if I breathe through the noise of my own worries, I can see that I’ve had more victories than defeats. That God has carried me further than I ever thought I could go. That even when I was hurting, His hand was still holding me up.

The Perspective That Changes Everything

One of the most powerful moments in the song comes with this declaration:

"If I never live to see another day, there is nothing I would change or take away."

That’s the kind of gratitude I want to cultivate—not just thanksgiving for the good times, but for the entire journey. The highs and the lows. The answered prayers and the ones that seemed to go unheard. The dreams realized and the ones that are still waiting.

It’s easy to be thankful when everything is falling into place. But Dear God reminds me that true peace comes when I can say, Even if my life isn’t everything I hoped for, even if I don’t understand every twist in the road—I still thank You.

Because what matters most isn’t what I have or haven’t achieved. It’s that God has been with me through it all.

An Invitation to Pause and Give Thanks

As I listened to the final words—Just wanna take the time to say thank You, Jesus, for my life—I realized that maybe my anxiety has been crowding out my gratitude. Maybe I’ve been so focused on what’s ahead, on what’s uncertain, that I haven’t stopped to fully acknowledge what’s already been done.

So today, I pause.

I may not have all the answers, but I have breath in my lungs. I have seen victories I never thought I’d see. I have been kept when I should have been lost. And I know that the same God who has been faithful before will be faithful still.

So instead of rehearsing my worries, I choose to whisper:

"Lord, I thank You for my life."

And somehow, in that simple prayer, my heart finds peace again.