Thanksgiving is almost here, and every year around this time I find myself doing something that might sound strange. Before I thank God for the good things, I thank Him for the storms I survived.
I know that is not the usual list. Most of us give thanks for family, food, health and a roof over our heads, and I am grateful for every one of those. But when I look back on my life, I cannot tell the story of my blessings without telling the story of my storms, because so many of the blessings were born inside them.
The Storms I Remember
Some of you know my story from my memoir, Neglected But Undefeated: The Life Of A Boy Who Never Knew A Mother’s Love. I spent my early childhood happily with my grandparents in Jamaica. At six I moved back to the United States to live with my mother, and the years that followed were full of pain. By fourteen, I was homeless. On January 30, 2006, I went into brain surgery for a disorder that had been causing seizures, not knowing exactly what the other side would look like.
I wrote these words in that book, and they are still true for me today:
“You know my name, not my story. You’ve heard what I’ve done, but not what I’ve been through.”
— Jonathan Anthony Burkett, Neglected But Undefeated
I do not share these things so anyone will feel sorry for me. I share them because I have learned that gratitude is not only for people whose lives went smoothly. Gratitude is also for survivors.
Why I Give Thanks for the Storms
I am not thankful that I was hurt. I will never pretend that pain is good in itself. What I am thankful for is what God did with it. In the storm, I learned to lean on faith. In the storm, writing became a way to heal. In the storm, I learned that forgiveness, even forgiving my own mother, could set me free instead of keeping me chained to the past. And in the storm I learned that God had never once let go of my hand.
The Bible says it this way:
“Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.”
— Psalm 30:11-12 (KJV)
Notice the words “to the end.” God turns mourning into dancing for a reason: so that we will not be silent. That is a big part of why Upstormed exists. Our name comes from the storm, but our purpose is the rising. Every book, every song and every article we publish is my way of refusing to be silent about what God has done.
A Thanksgiving Invitation
This year, I want to invite you and your family to try something with me. When you gather around the table, or even if you are eating alone, make two lists.
- List one: the blessings. Write down the good things that came your way this year, big or small.
- List two: the storms you came through. Write down the hard things you survived. Next to each one, write one thing you learned, one person who helped you, or one way you saw God carry you.
You might be surprised how often the second list explains the first. And if you are still in the middle of a storm right now, write it down anyway, then write the words “not yet finished” next to it. Your story is still being written.
To Everyone Reading This
I am thankful for you. Every person who reads these pages, shares a story with a friend or leaves a comment is part of this family. My prayer for Upstormed is that it will always be a place where people can find hope on hard days, and you are helping that prayer come true.
Wherever you are this Thanksgiving, whether your table is full or nearly empty, please know this: the storm came, but it did not get the last word. Through every storm, we rise together.
With gratitude,
Jonathan
What is one storm you came through this year that you can now give thanks for? I would love to read your story in the comments.
Learn more about Jonathan at www.jonathanburkett.com. Follow him on Instagram and Facebook.
Sources: Jonathan Anthony Burkett, Neglected But Undefeated (Jonathan Anthony Burkett Publications), published facts and quote via Goodreads; King James Version, Psalm 30:11-12 (checked on Bible Gateway KJV, Nov 13, 2026).
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