The Radical Practice of Unconditional Gratitude

 

Dear friends,

As we step into this new year together, I’ve found myself in a place of deep reflection, and one word keeps coming up for me—gratitude.

Not the “paint a smile on it” kind—but the grounded kind that can hold joy and sorrow in the same breath.

I want you to hear this clearly—I care about you. I’m praying for you. And I believe we’re being invited into a deeper way of living—God first, always.

The Permission to Feel (Resist Nothing)

Gratitude starts with honesty. Sometimes tragedies come—loss, heartbreak, surprise turns—and it’s hard to feel thankful in the moment. That’s okay. Faith isn’t pretending; faith is bringing the real you to a real God.

I’ve learned to resist nothing. Not because everything is easy, but because fighting reality usually multiplies suffering. When I feel fear, anxiety, grief, or impostor feelings, I’m practicing something new—welcoming them instead of wrestling them.

Sometimes, I’ll literally imagine a table in front of me and say, “Hello my friends—Mr. Fear, Mrs. Anxiety, Mr. Impostor—please sit down.

“Thank you for visiting me again.

"What new lessons, opportunities, and distinctions have you brought to share with me this time?”

When we name what’s here, and let it be here, something shifts. We move from fight/flight/freeze into presence. And presence is where God meets us.

Serenity and the Controllables

A prayer that keeps me anchored is the Serenity Prayer—the reminder to accept what we cannot change, have courage to change what we can, and ask for wisdom to know the difference.

In a world that rewards reaction, God invites response. When we focus on the controllables—our next right step, our attitude, our integrity, our compassion, our obedience—we find stability even when the outside world is loud.

Being in Flow (Hand in the Water)

I’ve also been thinking a lot about “flow.” Real flow is not pushing the string up the hill. It’s not attempting to grab the water. It’s putting our hand in the water—and letting the current teach us.

Flow isn’t passivity; it’s partnership. It’s doing our part while trusting God with His. It’s remembering, "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

The Faith Walk and the Bamboo Tree

The farther out I feel like God is calling us, the more faith it requires. It reminds me of the bamboo tree. You water it day after day, and for years you see almost nothing. But underground, roots are forming—foundation is being built. Then, seemingly suddenly, it shoots up with incredible speed.

That’s what God does with us, too. He builds roots in secret before He reveals growth in public. So if you feel like you’re “doing the right things” and not seeing results yet—don’t quit. Keep watering. God is working deeper than you can see.

Lessons in Dependence

This past year, I spent time in Africa serving alongside a hospital and a school. It stretched me emotionally. When I came home, I found myself grateful in a new way—for paved roads, power lines, clean water—things I had stopped noticing.

A conversation there stayed with me. Someone told me, “In the United States, people don’t believe in God.” What she meant was dependence. In places where life is uncertain day to day, people lean on God—because they know they need Him.

Here’s the invitation for us... not to wait for crisis to practice dependence. To put God first when things are going well. To give Him credit when things go right. To remember we’re not self-made—we’re sustained by grace.

Adversity Contains a Seed

One of the most powerful truths I’ve come to trust is this—"With every adversity comes the seed of an equivalent gain." I don’t always see it immediately, but over time, God redeems what hurts. He wastes nothing.

Sometimes, maybe God loves us so much that He will allow anything we don't love to return to us—until we can love what we previously resisted. Not because He is punishing us, but because He is forming us.

Jesus First (The Way of the Gentleman)

I heard a simple picture recently—a respectful gentleman gets the door for his significant other—not to prove anything, but to honor and serve. It made me ask: what if Jesus was first in our thoughts, our schedule, our decisions, our conversations—every day?

When Jesus is first, we become the kind of leaders, spouses, parents, colleagues, and friends who serve from strength—not from ego. That’s the culture I want for our ProAdvisorCoach community.

A Simple Practice for This Week

Here’s a practice I’m trying—and you’re welcome to join me:

• Start your day with one sentence: “God, You’re first today.”
• Name what you feel (don’t judge it).
• Ask, “What is within my control right now?” Then take the next right step.
• Look for the seed in the adversity—one lesson, one gift, one invitation.
• End the day with gratitude—one thing you noticed that you used to overlook.

I’m grateful for you. I’m grateful for what God is doing in and through this community. May we walk by faith, resist nothing, and live in the steady confidence that God is with us and for us.

With care and faith,

Rich Campe, CEO, ProAdvisorCoach