The Apostle Paul teaches us to “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thes. 5:18) It’s not terribly difficult to be thankful when things seem to be going our way. But this year is more of a test and exactly why that verse says “all circumstances.” We invited our UTR community of listeners to share with us what they are thankful for this year, and we had nearly 200 responses!  It has lifted our spirit to read these, and not surprisingly, many of them were gratitude comments about music and the arts.  Here are some of those:

Brian Wetzel

(Arnoldsville, GA)

I learned (am learning) that I don’t have to apologize or come up with excuses for being an artistic member of the church.

Emily Skinner

(Colorado Springs, CO)

I have learned to appreciate Andrew Peterson’s work. I’ve known about him for a long time but never seemed to seek out his music til this year. Listening to his music and books has been a true blessing during months of isolation. His words have a way of leading me to seek the Lord’s face and usher in hope in new and unexpected ways.

Camden Cunningham

(Lexington, KY)

With all the extra time on my hands I have devoted more time to songwriting. This has been something I’ve enjoyed for about a decade, but I have begun spending more time on it.

Rebekah Vermeulen

(Tucson, AZ)

Signed up for an art school on a whim because, if 2020 has taught me anything, it is that now is always the best time to start.

Christina Gosey

(N. Augusta, SC)

I’ve been learning to play guitar for the last few months. I’m thankful for that because I love music and have wanted to learn guitar for a long time now but didn’t have the time because I was in school and different stuff.  I also recently discovered JJ Heller’s album, I Dream of you II. It’s a lullaby album full of covers of great songs and it’s super soothing and happy to listen to!

Jake Giles

(Hope, BC, Canada)

SongRX! Instead of algorithms, real people are sharing wonderful new music with me. I love it!

Gert-Jan Schaap

(Huizen, The Netherlands)

I am THANKFUL for all the good, thought-provoking and God-honoring Christian books and music released this year.

Steve Hopper

(Allen, TX)

I started recording a few interviews for a podcast about missions that I want to get out there. Very interesting. So grateful that Andrew Peterson’s Adorning the Dark encouraged me to start that project.

Bailey McGee

(Decatur, AR)

I am thankful for the way that so many people have turned hurt or ashes or disappointment into beauty. I especially loved seeing artists doing livestream concerts from their living rooms …and new artwork done during hours of quarantine. It is amazing to see the beauty that is coming out of such a hard time.

Kira Howard

(Shawnee, OK)

I have always loved music, but 2020 showed me just how important it is in my life. Several things this year have been an extreme challenge, but music is what I have been most thankful for. So many artists got creative to get music out there by doing covers, hosting online shows, and even releasing new albums. It has been something so good in a year of difficulty.

We love hearing from this community, so feel free to comment below and share what you are thankful for even during this challenging year.