More from Jennifer L. Luckett

I was pleasantly surprised to receive the “Invitation to Continue the Conversation” message one afternoon in late April, not long after I received the print copy of The Upper Room and read my meditation.

It’s been more than ten years since I began the gratitude practice I wrote about in my piece, and I was unsure what to share in this blog post.

I reread a few of those gratitude lists, as well as the musings on scripture and prayers I wrote in a beautiful leather-bound journal, a gift from a kind colleague. I penned the first piece I submitted to The Upper Room in January 2021. Several submissions later, my Thanksgiving meditation was published in 2023. I’m eternally grateful for these opportunities, though none of this would have happened without my purchase of the book on gratitude I referenced in my meditation, which is pictured here.

I always wanted to be a published author, but I abandoned the pursuit of my goal to write magazine articles for younger readers. I convinced myself that I’d never write anything of interest to others and worthy of publication, and I didn’t write anything other than those gratitude lists for many years. I indulged in my insecurities and allowed my fears to lead me away from the path that God had established for me.

A deeper study and consideration of scripture shifted my lack of belief in my ability to write. Reading Romans 12 helped me to understand what God wanted me to do. The first part of the chapter compels believers to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (NIV). I needed to regard myself in the way God created me in order to use my writing to serve others. Now, I know that I can acknowledge that I’ve been blessed with this talent, a spiritual gift God has bestowed upon me, as explained in Romans 12:4-8.

I still struggle with self-confidence in some areas of my life, which is difficult to admit as a middle-aged woman. I’ve learned to accept this flaw that I am working to overcome with God's grace, my supreme source of confidence and competence (see 2 Cor. 3:4-5).

Since February 2024, I’ve written dozens of short stories and several meditations. I’ve also completed a novel-writing course that guided me to write a 75,000 word manuscript, which I’m revising. The best part of that experience was the community of writers with whom I communicated; the invaluable feedback from the course cohort and our instructor has helped me to become a more skilled writer.

I’ve rediscovered my love for expression, and I am grateful for the words that often seem to flow with ease and write themselves. I give thanks to God for the courage to create and to share my writing, which I never thought I could do when I suffered from crippling self-doubt.

I am renewed and strengthened each day when I read God’s word and acknowledge God’s blessings, as I strive to become the best version of myself—a believer who cherishes our heavenly Father’s gifts of renewal, salvation, and transformation, and who loves herself and others as God loves all of us.