Be Nourished: Choosing Gratitude When Your World Feels Upside Down

There are days when gratitude flows naturally, when laughter fills your home, prayers are answered, and blessings are obvious. And then there are days when you feel like you’re grasping in the dark, when gratitude feels like an impossible choice.

To the woman in transition….getting used to being a new mom, empty nesting, navigating peri-menopause or menopause, or wondering who you are in this new season of life, I see you. So much is changing. Your body doesn’t feel the same. Your role in your family has shifted. Friendships, routines, even your sense of purpose may feel foreign. And in that in-between space, gratitude can feel distant.

But here’s a truth that’s both freeing and powerful:

Gratitude isn’t something that happens to you, it’s something you choose.

And when you choose gratitude, even on the hardest days, you choose to be nourished — in your soul, in your mind, and even in your physical body.

The Unique Gift of Gratitude: It Anchors You When Life Feels Unsteady

One thing people rarely talk about when it comes to gratitude is how it grounds you. When everything feels like it’s shifting, your identity, your relationships, your body, gratitude pulls you back to what is true and unchanging.

It gives you a reference point:

• God is still good.

• I am still loved.

• Even here, blessings exist.

Gratitude doesn’t erase your struggles. It doesn’t mean ignoring pain or pretending everything is fine. It means, even here, I can see God’s goodness.

"Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind." — Psalm 107:8

Gratitude Heals More Than You Think

Science confirms what Scripture has been teaching for thousands of years: gratitude can transform your health. It lowers stress, supports heart health, boosts immunity, and improves sleep. But there’s something even deeper: gratitude softens our hearts.

When we start counting blessings, even tiny ones, we begin to see God’s hand in the mundane…in a conversation with a friend, in a morning sunrise, in the simple gift of breath.

And that softening is a kind of healing.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

When we bring our pain to God with thanksgiving, peace follows. That peace guards us. It nourishes us.

How to Find Gratitude When It Feels Impossible

If you’re struggling to find anything to be grateful for right now, you’re not broken, you’re human. Start here:

• Name one thing you can thank God for today. Just one. Write it down or say it out loud. (Even if it’s small - like the ability to breathe deeply.)

• Pray through your gratitude. Thank God specifically for what you have, no matter how simple. “Lord, thank You for this cup of tea. Thank You for a quiet moment.”

• Use your senses. Look for something beautiful, listen for something comforting, touch something grounding (like holding a warm mug or walking barefoot on the grass). Gratitude often starts with noticing.

• Reframe the hard. Instead of only asking, “Why me?” begin asking, “Where are You in this, Lord?”

• Speak gratitude over yourself. Stand in front of the mirror and say, “I choose to be nourished by gratitude today.”

➡️Click here to download my FREE 365 Day Gratitude Journal . It includes 365 spaces to write down one thing you are grateful for each day, as well as 52 gratitude journal prompts to help you reflect on the things you are thankful for. Additionally, there are 12 empowering thoughts to help you integrate gratefulness into your life and suggestions for cultivating gratitude during each year's season.

Scriptures to Meditate On When Gratitude Feels Hard

• “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18

• “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” — Psalm 9:1

• “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” — Psalm 118:24

• “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.” — James 1:17

You Don’t Have to Walk This Alone

If gratitude feels forced or distant, if you’re wrestling with who you are in this new chapter — let’s talk. Book a call with me today, and let’s walk this journey together. You don’t have to figure it out on your own.