Hello, Gardners, and happy November! Wow, can you believe we only have one month left this year? This month in the GroupMe—Daily Devotions—we’re covering “Daily Gratitude” and what it means to show gratitude to God daily. Let’s talk about it.

It’s easy to go through life and whisper quickly, “Thank you, Lord.” I know that’s one of my go-to lines. I was struggling to actually “feel” gratitude. It was more of a lip service—like checking a box. But when this plan came up, I knew it was an opportunity for me to take it further. I want to truly explore what it means to be grateful, even if my day isn’t going the best or I’m having to wait a little longer for something than I want to.

On the 16th of this month, I had my book launch, and it was such a good time. My friend, Elanena, and I shared our passion for writing and helping others. I finally spoke my reasons for writing Caller ID: Unknown Discovering My Identity Through Christ.

It was such an emotional moment, but I needed that. I needed to share just how important this journey has been for me. Being a woman, after God’s own heart, is not an easy task. It’s also not a “flip of the switch” type of change. Many deaths have to occur—ego and expectations are just two that I want to touch on.

“Thank God that he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭57‬ ‭GW‬‬

Jesus lived, died, and rose again for us. It was a part of God’s handcrafted plan for our lives. He sent His one and only Son to die for us—His children who are yet learning what it means to walk and live like Christ. With the death and resurrection of Jesus, there came a victory—a victory for us to have the opportunity to get it right. We don’t have to have all the answers right now, but we are responsible for seeking those answers and genuinely submitting ourselves to God.

The confidence that God blessed us with is not to be used for egotistical reasons, and often, as humans, we start to think that we are self-sufficient and that what we have is because of our merit, knowledge, etc. Still, it is essential to remember that humility is a big part of expressing gratitude. There comes a time for our ego to die because it cannot exist in conjunction with God.

Expectations are necessary, but it is hard to cultivate humility and gratitude when those expectations become our anchor or an idol. Have you ever created a plan and cried when it didn’t pan out? I know I have. I’ve done that several times. I even got upset and asked God if He heard me talking to Him. 😂

That’s the beauty of God’s love. He heard me, and instead of punishing me, He gave me a chance to live again and to release myself from those expectations that He never had for me.

I’m going to pause here with ego and expectations and come back next month with an entire post dedicated to the victory that comes with death. So, before I go, I want to share that this month, I learned more about gratitude and how it can be used—not just for the big things but for everything in between. Take a moment to reflect, reset, and talk to God. I know He’d love to hear from you.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I will see you next month!

Take Care,

Tori B. 💕🌻