Day Six: Thank You, God, for Something

Thank You, God, for Something

Thank you, God, for something. Just kidding.

So far, my gratitude journal has followed a pattern—I pick one word and roll into an explanation of why I’m thankful for it. But life is more complicated than that. Gratitude isn’t always a neatly packaged word or phrase; sometimes, it’s a jumble of emotions, lessons, and reflections. And if we’re being honest, a simple list of things we’re grateful for doesn’t always make for compelling reading.

That said, “Thank You, God, for something” does sound like a fantastic lament for those times when we know God is present but can’t see past the hole we’re in. However, today, my gratitude isn’t rooted in struggle—it’s rooted in the messiness, joy, and humbling moments of parenting. So, a more accurate title might be:

Thank You, God, for My Kids, Parenting, Teaching, and Second Chances.

Parenting is wonderful, and parenting is hard. In everyday life, we might say that we have a personality conflict with someone, but that’s not something we usually say about our kids or spouse (even though, let’s be real, it sometimes feels that way). And yes, that might be a scary setup for a gratitude journal entry, but stick with me.

I like to joke. Sometimes, that comes across as giving someone a hard time—and let’s be honest, that’s probably exactly what I’m doing. I don’t take many things too seriously because I genuinely believe that things have a way of working out. And if they don’t work out the first time, well, they’re usually fixable. Even if you’ve dug yourself into a hole.

But here’s the thing: some people hate making mistakes. And when you’re a dad who tries to lighten the mood about those mistakes, you might not actually be helping. (My wife points this out constantly. Do I listen? No. But then I wouldn’t have a subject for this post.)

That realization brings me to something else I’m thankful for:

Thank You, God, for Reflection.

I joke and tease to say, “Hey, it’s not the end of the world—it’ll be okay.” But to someone with perfectionist tendencies, it might sound more like, “I made a mistake. You saw me make a mistake. I’m horrible because I made a mistake.” That’s not what I mean at all, but intent doesn’t always match impact.

Thankfully, my wife is amazing. She parents in a more compassionate way (at least, where our kids are currently—and let’s be real, probably always). She gets to the heart of what I am trying to communicate by using this simple phrase in our home lately:

“You made a mistake. So, what does that mean? You’re a human being. It will be better next time.”

Kids are great. They’re fun. They reflect pieces of your own childhood. You get to watch them grow, but that also means you have to watch them struggle. And in the process of teaching them, you often realize how much you still have to learn yourself.

Which brings me back to that phrase:

“Did you make a mistake? So what does that mean? You’re a human being. It will probably be better next time.”

So, God, please don’t let me mess up my kids too badly. Let us learn from one another. And thank You, God, for second chances—even if I may be on my 999th.