Grace and Gratitude: The Posture For Breakthroughs
This month, my heart is full. We are celebrating several people in my life: my mother, the children’s great-grandmother, and Trevor’s aunt. I am also celebrating my own birthday. Milestones like these invite reflection. They ask us to pause, look back, and consider if it is time for a change.
My mother lives in the UK, and it was because of her that I once had the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree there.
Today, my family and I live in the United States. This physical distance has not been easy. It has required sacrifice, adjustment, and a continual re-anchoring of our hearts. Yet I’ve learned something powerful along the way: when people share core values, they are never truly separated. They can exist in the same spiritual place, a place that feels like heaven on earth. Is there such a place?
That place is sustained by grace.
And it is nourished by gratitude.
When Storms Clear the Way
Last week, a winter storm swept through New York and surrounding areas. Snow piled high, roads slowed, and daily routines were disrupted. Even as the snow remained and forecasts warned of more to come, we made a deliberate choice: to be thankful.
Gratitude, especially in uncertain seasons, is not denial; it is discernment. We chose to acknowledge small wins—moments of peace, answered prayers, simple provision—because every victory, no matter how small, is evidence of grace.
Psychological research supports this practice. Brown and Wong (2017) reports that gratitude improves emotional well-being, reduces depressive symptoms, and increases resilience. Gratitude trains the brain to notice what is working rather than what is missing. In this way, gratitude is not only a spiritual discipline; it is mental health care.
Scripture echoes this wisdom:
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
What spiritual disciplines do we practice daily?
Celebrating Grace Across Generations
This month, we are highlighting Grandma Gloria, who turns 80. Eighty years is more than a milestone; it is beyond the “three score and ten” spoken of in Scripture. Grandma is keenly aware that her life is sustained not by chance, but by grace.
When I called to wish her a happy birthday, she shared a story that perfectly captures her posture toward life.
She told me about a retired pilot on a flight who asked for a glass of wine. When the flight attendant realized there was none available, she quietly poured Kool-Aid into a wine glass to avoid disappointing him. The pilot swirled it, tasted it, and said, “You don’t have anything better?” When she replied no, he smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll work with it.”
We laughed together. Then Grandma said, “I can’t complain. I know the difference between Kool-Aid and wine. I’m thankful.”
That is grace in practice. Gratitude does not mean pretending everything is perfect. It means recognizing what is real and choosing thankfulness anyway.
“Me Can’t Complain”: Gratitude as Cultural Wisdom
If you’ve ever asked a Jamaican how they’re doing, chances are you’ve heard the response: “Me can’t complain.” On the surface, it sounds casual. But underneath it is deep wisdom.
For many immigrants, like my mom and grandma Gloria, the journey to “developed” countries is layered with complexity, hope and hardship, opportunity and loss. Whether our journeys were joyful or painful, the question remains: do we complain, or do we choose gratitude?
Let’s name it properly. “Me can’t complain” is gratitude. It is acknowledging grace without boasting and recognizing that survival itself is not self-made.
Both believers and unbelievers say it. I’ve noticed that many people, after migrating, may not want to associate with the church, yet they still practice kingdom values such as gratitude. This caused me to rethink the verse about seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Many of us believe this means going to church. But God is not bound to a building.
Gratitude and Mental Health
Gratitude is not passive; it is powerful. Neuroscience research shows that practicing gratitude activates brain regions associated with dopamine and serotonin—the neurotransmitters responsible for happiness and emotional regulation (Fox et al., 2015). Regular gratitude practices have been linked to improved sleep, reduced anxiety, better relationships, and increased self-control.
The Oxford Dictionary defines attitude as a settled way of thinking that is reflected in behavior. How we perceive our circumstances, and how we respond to them, can be one of the greatest barriers to fulfilling our dreams.
The apostle Paul understood this deeply. He wrote that he had learned to be content in every situation (Philippians 4:11). Contentment is not automatic; it is cultivated through gratitude for both small and big things.
Christ Himself modeled this posture. He did not complain. He endured suffering with the knowledge that what lay ahead outweighed what He faced in the present (Hebrews 12:2). This is the mindset—the attitude of Christ—that we are invited to adopt. Gratitude is the way. The psalmist tells us to enter His gates with thanksgiving.
Complaining Keeps Us in the Wilderness
Complaining, murmuring, grumbling, blaming, and ingratitude, however, are dangerous. I remember a time in my life when I was ungrateful. It led me to a dark, isolated place. I wasn’t invited to friends’ gatherings; relatives kept their distance. I felt abandoned. Yet, in hindsight, I was the one who had abandoned the will of God.
Scripture shows this clearly in the story of the Israelites. Though delivered from Egypt, their constant murmuring kept them wandering in the wilderness far longer than necessary (Numbers 14).
Complaining keeps us stuck.
I shared this lesson with my son recently. Whenever he feels the urge to complain, I encourage him to find something, anything to be grateful for. Gratitude interrupts negativity. It reorients the heart.
I’ve watched my children grow in this. When they were younger, gratitude looked like being thankful for food or toys. Now, they express gratitude for people—Mommy, Daddy, Auntie. Gratitude matures as we do. Our mindsets must evolve.
Attitude Over Talent
There is a quote by Maya Angelou that I often return to:
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”
If we don’t like something, we must change it, not complain about it.
Could this be why so many of us remain at the same level for years, despite our talent and potential?
Growth requires responsibility. Complaining keeps us aware of the problem, but change moves us toward solution and purpose. Until we choose action over frustration, we stay where we are, even when we were created for more.
Are we idolizing our problems?
A positive attitude will outperform talent every time. In workplaces, relationships, and leadership, people can develop skill, but they cannot easily work with negativity. Positive attitude opens doors.
I’ve learned this personally. Despite degrees, experience, and connections, there were seasons when doors remained closed. I could have become bitter. Instead, I sought the Kingdom and His righteousness. In that stillness, God redirected me to writing, to purpose, to work I never imagined doing at that stage of life. I thought it would come after retirement (what is retirement in the kingdom?)
What felt like rejection was actually redirection.
Renewing the Mind
I remember attending church during my time in Canada when I was facing a difficult decision. I felt caught between a rock and a hard place. During the sermon, I don’t recall exactly what the pastor taught about, and I knew it had nothing directly to do with my situation. Yet, as I listened to the Word, clarity came. Without a doubt, I knew what I needed to do. That was the transformative power of the Word.
Scripture calls us to renew our minds:
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God..” (Romans 12:2)
Many of our beliefs about success, retirement, education, and worth are shaped more by culture than by truth. Gratitude helps us renew our minds and challenges these assumptions. It creates space for grace to reframe our lives.
God does not force His will upon us. We have free will. Gratitude softens the heart enough to hear His direction.
Do we challenge our mindsets? Why do we do the things we do?
Grace That Carries Us Forward
Grace is the unearned favor of God. Gratitude is our response to it.
Together, they sustain the soul.
They remind us that storms can clear paths, that small wins matter, that complaining delays growth, and that nothing—no degree, no delay, no disappointment—is wasted. All things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose.
As we celebrate birthdays, generations, and seasons of life, may we choose gratitude not because life is easy, but because grace is sufficient.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
And that is reason enough to give thanks.
Questions to reflect on
Where in my life have I been complaining instead of making a change?
What situation have I been tolerating because it feels familiar or comfortable?
What is one small step I can take today toward change rather than frustration?
With grace and growth,
Sanchia and team.
Audio Version
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