Gratitude Every Day: Thanking God for Keeping Us Safe

If you were to ask me about a time I was really scared, I’d have to tell you about our unforgettable nightmare hotel experience.

Although I believe in having gratitude every day, some days I‘m better at it than others!

Case in point . . .

This was several years ago, but I remember it well.

My father-in-law had passed away.

After an emotional funeral service for him in San Diego, we headed to a second memorial service in San Antonio where the family grave sites are located.

That meant travel for us, first by plane to San Diego, and then by car to South Texas.

The logistics were overwhelming for our family, not to mention the emotional aspect of losing a loved one.

On top of all that, it was a holiday weekend, and a bad snowstorm was expected in Dallas.

Could it get any worse?

Due to the holidays, it was too late to board our dogs, so we had to take them with us in the car.

Have you ever tried to get a hotel out of town that takes dogs on a holiday weekend?

We could only find one.

Hotel Nightmare: Thanking God for Our Safety

We booked the reservation to “Hotel Nightmare” (as I later called it) and drove on to San Antonio.

When we got there – let’s just say – the area was less than desirable. It was located right off of the interstate.

A lot of “interesting” characters were hanging out everywhere.

I wanted to leave, but we had no other option. We had to stay there.

It’s not an exaggeration when I say that I was scared out of my mind.

We got into our hotel room as quickly as we could.

For the times we had to exit the room and meet up with family, we tried to be as quiet as possible so as not to draw attention.

Later that evening, after 11pm, our dogs decided they wanted to go outside.

No matter how much we tried to convince them otherwise. Lol.

It was pitch black dark and creepy.

I pulled my hair up tight into a ponytail and wore a ball cap and sweats to look less conspicuous. 

Maybe not as tough-looking as I thought.

We found the one little area of grass off the parking lot to walk our dogs to do their thing.

Of course, they had to sniff every blade of grass that night.

“Hurry up!!!” I whispered as we looked nervously over our shoulders to see if anyone was heading our way.

Looking back, I realize the actual risk we took staying at that hotel. A good friend of ours who works in drug enforcement told us that particular area is a known gathering spot for drug deals, and just about everything else you can imagine.

I give all my thanks to God for keeping us safe.

I knew that He was with us and, whatever the outcome, good or bad, He would see us through anything.

Cultivating Gratitude Every Day

Over and over in the Bible, it says to “Fear not”, and “Do not be afraid.”

How many different times and contexts?

Try “hundreds.”

Isn’t that enough to stop fear in its tracks the next time we feel threatened?

Admittedly, I’m not the best at “fearing not” – especially when faced with potentially dangerous situations.

The fact is that our creator God instilled in us human emotions and instincts, and that includes fear.

Those red flags you sometimes feel are God-given for your own protection.

So, what kind of fear should be avoided?

When the Bible tells us, “Do not fear,” it means we are not to allow anxiety or fretfulness to rule our lives or take root in our hearts. We are not to be people of panic. We are to be people of faith. – gotquestions.org¹

It’s comforting to know that God is always with us and He hears our prayers.

God doesn’t forget about us; and we shouldn’t forget about Him.

His grace and countless blessings in our past are an encouraging reminder that our future is in His hands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With that in mind, I still try to make it a point to have gratitude every day.

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¹ Quotation from gotquestions.org from “What does the Bible mean when it tells us to fear not”? n.d., para. 4. Web. Accessed May 28, 2025. Retrieved from Fear Not.