The Anchor of Gratitude in Chaos

Chaos doesn't knock politely. It barges in, sometimes loud and sudden, sometimes slow and suffocating. It shows up in broken routines, in grief that sneaks up at midnight, and in the endless lists that never seem to shrink. But gratitude has a way of holding steady when everything else feels like it's slipping. Gratitude is not denial; it's an anchor.

For me, chaos doesn't knock, it kicks the door open. Between motherhood, an ADD brain that wants to chase every thought at once, and the weight of grief that still lingers in the quiet, I had to make a choice: either get swept away or plant my anchor.

So I choose gratitude. Every day, I carve out 30-45 minutes in the morning. Just me, my coffee, and my notebook—to plan my day, make my to-do list, and write a little affirmation. Do I do it perfectly? Absolutely not. I miss days. But here's the beautiful part: my kids don't let me feel guilty about it. They'll laugh and say, "It's alright, Mom." And suddenly, we're laughing together, turning my "missed days" into a moment of joy.

That's what gratitude has taught me. It's not about flawless routines. It's about choosing, again and again, to steady myself in the chaos, even if that steadiness looks different every day.

Gratitude, for me, became less of a practice and more of a survival tool. It doesn't always look like journaling three neat sentences. Sometimes it's whispering "Thank you" over morning coffee or during a deep breath between errands.

Gratitude doesn't erase chaos. It doesn't erase grief. It simply holds you steady enough to walk through it without drowning. The storm may stay, but gratitude pulls your eyes to the light that's still flickering.

Scripture calls us to "give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). That verse never promised life would be clean or painless; it simply revealed a survival tool. Gratitude isn't just a spiritual discipline; it's divine survival. It's how we remember that God is still here, even when the world feels like it's on fire.

Chaos will come again, it always does. But so will gratitude, if we let it. And when you choose gratitude, you're not ignoring the storm. You're choosing to hold onto the anchor that keeps you from being carried away by it. Do this today: Find one thing in the middle of your storm to say thank you for. One anchor. Hold on to it. That's where strength grows.