Gratitude Goes Deeper Than Saying ‘Thank You’

Gratitude isn’t just about being polite—it’s a way of seeing the world. In this episode, we explore how to live with a thankful heart even when life isn’t picture-perfect. Whether it’s finding peace in the middle of a storm or recognizing the beauty in small blessings, you’ll discover how true gratitude transforms your perspective—and your pace.

Transcript

Episode 180: Gratitude Goes Deeper Than Saying ‘Thank You’
 
There’s something so comforting about an early morning when the house is still quiet, the coffee’s hot, and the world hasn’t quite woken up yet. That’s the kind of moment where your thoughts can wander a bit—where your heart gets a little more space to breathe. And in those moments, I often find myself thinking about how grateful I am. Not for anything big or dramatic, just… the everyday stuff. A warm bed. A roof that doesn’t leak. The blessing of a slow morning. And it’s in those small things that I’m reminded - gratitude goes far deeper than just saying “thank you.”

Now don’t get me wrong - those two little words are powerful. A genuine thank you can brighten someone’s day and open up someone’s heart. But real, deep-down gratitude isn’t just about good manners. It’s a way of living. It’s a lens we look through, a posture we take, a habit we practice even when things aren’t perfect. Especially when they’re not perfect.

See, it’s easy to be thankful when everything’s going our way. When the pantry’s full, the family’s getting along, the weather’s cooperating, and the bills are paid - that’s when gratitude flows pretty freely. But what about when the pantry’s a little bare, the car’s acting up, and your plans fall through? What does gratitude look like then?

That’s the part that challenges me, and maybe you too - remembering that true gratitude is less about circumstances and more about perspective. It’s not just an emotional response to something good - it’s a steady attitude that says, “No matter how bad things are right now, I can still look for the blessing.”

Sometimes, we’re taught that gratitude is like a polite hat we wear at church or Thanksgiving dinner. But I’ve come to learn it’s more like a pair of work gloves - something you put on when life gets messy. It’s an action verb – not a passive verb. It shows up in how we respond when we’re inconvenienced or interrupted. It’s not just saying thank you - it’s living like we mean it.

And living with gratitude doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine when it’s not. It’s not about plastering on a smile and ignoring hardship. It’s about being honest about the struggle while still choosing to see what’s good. It’s saying, “This is hard - but I’m still thankful for what I do have.” That’s a kind of strength that runs deep.

I remember a time in my life – and not too long ago, either - when everything seemed to be going wrong. You know the kind - when it’s not just one thing, but a string of little frustrations that pile up until they feel too heavy to carry. I was tired, stretched thin, and overwhelmed. But early one morning, I stepped outside barefoot onto the dewy grass. The sky was soft with early light, the rooster was singing his morning songs, and the cows were bellowing for their breakfast. But in that moment, I felt anchored. I felt held. I felt a calmness settle in my spirit that had been missing for a while. And I realized that moment was a gift - something freely given. That, right there, was gratitude in its quietest form.

It taught me that even in the middle of a storm, there are small mercies to be found if we’re willing to look. And it’s in noticing those mercies—however small—that our hearts begin to change. We move from frustration to thankfulness, from restlessness to peace.

Gratitude also has this gentle way of shifting our focus—from what we lack to what we already have. And isn’t that the whole heart behind simple living? We slow down not just to catch our breath, but to notice the blessings we used to rush past. Gratitude says, “What I have is enough. I don’t need more to feel content—I just need to see clearly.” 

I think sometimes we get caught in the idea that if life doesn’t look a certain way, we can’t be thankful. Maybe the house isn’t as tidy as we’d like. Maybe there are dreams that haven’t come true yet. Maybe the family we envisioned around the table looks different this year. But still—there’s breath in our lungs. There’s light coming through the kitchen window. There’s another chance to begin again. Gratitude doesn’t erase the hard stuff, but it reminds us that the hard stuff isn’t the only thing we have in our life.

When we choose to live from a place of gratitude, it softens us. It makes us more generous. We become better listeners, better neighbors, better versions of ourselves. We don’t cling so tightly to what we think we deserve. Instead, we start looking for ways to give.

And that’s another layer to deep gratitude—it overflows. It doesn’t stay quiet in our hearts. It lightens our spirits. It spills out into our actions. It becomes the handwritten note we send, the cookies we bake for a neighbor, the time we take to sit and truly be with someone. It shows up in the way we treat others - especially those who can’t do anything for us in return.

Gratitude becomes a lifestyle when we stop waiting for perfect conditions to be thankful. It becomes part of our rhythm—like folding laundry with a thankful heart for the people who wear those clothes or washing dishes and being grateful for the meal that got them dirty. It’s seeing the ordinary and recognizing that none of it is owed to us. It’s all a gift.

Some days, it’s as simple as walking through your home and just saying thank you - thank you for this shelter, this space, these walls that have heard laughter and seen tears. Thank you for the coffee in the morning, the socks that warm your feet, the chance to start fresh again today.

And some days, gratitude shows up in more stubborn ways. On the harder days, it might sound like, “This is tough, Lord—but I’m grateful You’re still with me. Help me see what I’m missing.” And slowly, a little light breaks through. A phone call from a friend. A quiet moment of peace. A small answer to prayer. We start noticing again.

I’ve also found that writing things down makes a difference. Keeping a little gratitude journal—not one more chore, but a quiet space at the end of the day to list three small things you’re thankful for. It doesn’t have to be big. It can be something as simple as fresh sheets, the scent of supper still in the air, or the way the dog wagged his tail when you walked in. Writing it down trains our minds to see more clearly.

And the beautiful thing is, the more we look for things to be thankful for, the more we find them. It’s like turning on a light in a dim room—suddenly, you notice things you hadn’t seen before. That same shift can happen in our hearts. Gratitude lights up the corners of our lives and helps us see the beauty that’s always been there.

You know, in a world that’s constantly telling us we need more—more stuff, more success, more attention—gratitude gently says, “You have enough.” It anchors us. It keeps us from drifting too far from what really matters. It reminds us that those small simple things are often the most sacred.

Living gratefully is also something we pass on. When others see us finding joy in small things, they begin to see differently too. Children notice. Friends are drawn to it. It plants a seed that grows. That’s the kind of garden I want to grow —not one of busyness or accumulation, but one of deep contentment. One of quiet, daily thankfulness.  I wonder, instead of hybridizing another variety of vegetable, if they can add a gratitude gene to our garden plants. Hmm…

And don’t forget—gratitude isn’t just for when life is going your way. It’s especially for when it’s not. Because it’s in those times that our roots grow deeper. That’s when faith takes over. That’s when we say, “Even now, I will be thankful.”

So maybe today’s not a “thankful” kind of day. Maybe things are feeling heavy. That’s okay. Start small. Find one thing. One thing that’s good. One thing you didn’t notice yesterday. Hold onto that. Let that be your starting point. Gratitude doesn’t have to be loud. It just has to be real.

As we move through this month with our hearts tuned to gratitude, I encourage you to go deeper. Not just the polite thank-yous, though those are lovely and needed. But the kind of gratitude that shapes how you see the world. The kind that changes your choices. The kind that anchors your soul when the winds blow strong.

You might be surprised how powerful a grateful heart can be. It doesn’t just bless others—it nourishes you. It lifts the heaviness. It clears the fog. It reminds you that you are, in fact, already living a life full of goodness—right here, right now.

Today, I hope you take a quiet moment just for yourself. Maybe it’s sitting with a cold glass of lemonade and listening to the birds. Maybe it’s a prayer whispered as you fold towels or knead dough. No matter how it looks, let gratitude slip into that moment and make it sacred.

Until next time, may your days be full of little blessings, your heart tuned to the good, and your life rich in gratitude—not just in words, but in the way you live every beautiful, ordinary day.