Dear God:

I am always amazed when I feel gratitude during times of struggle. Lately, there have been so many difficult things going on around me – friends hurting, the country fighting, the world aching – and yet I remain grateful for Your Grace and the blessings that cross my path each day. The old me – the one who complained about everything – would never have been able to see such blessings in the midst of so much strife. Thank You for changing my heart!

I am also always amazed as You give me all that I need to navigate these situations. The fact that I am able to listen to friends without trying to fix them is all You. The gentle restraint I feel within as political unrest and blame spills from the tongues of so many is all You. The thought of helping others in lands far from my own, even if only through prayer, is all You. Thank You for changing my heart!

How You do it, God, is beyond me. The fact that You do it, God, sustains me. With each passing moment of each passing day, I know You are working in me; and therefore know You are working in others. I can count on that. Because I can count on that, I can endure all things.

Thank You, God, for changing my heart!

Jessica