But what really caught my attention wasn’t the generosity. It was the reaction. The server immediately tried to refuse it. No, I can’t. I don’t deserve this. Please take it back. And I kept thinking—why do we do that? Why do so many people say no to something good, even when it’s freely and genuinely offered?

What’s happening here? Why would someone say no to something good, freely given?

On the surface, it looks like humility. But dig deeper, and you’ll find something more universal, more revealing. It’s not that we don’t want the miracle—we just don’t feel safe accepting it. It’s not part of the pattern we’re used to. And for many people, especially those raised on survival over abundance, safety is the pattern. And safety, for most, is the highest currency.

We Accept What Feels Normal—Even If It’s Not Good

Human beings are creatures of ritual. Whether it’s the job we keep, the relationships we endure, or the habits we never outgrow, we cling to the familiar. Because familiar equals safe. And safe equals alive.

Michael Singer, in The Untethered Soul, touches on this perfectly: people will stay in bad situations—relationships, routines, patterns—not because they’re fulfilling, but because they haven’t killed them yet. They’ve survived within the dysfunction, and so, in the mind, it becomes a kind of comfort.

We avoid disruption. We avoid the unknown. Even if that unknown is better.

Miracles Make Us Uncomfortable

Here’s the paradox: many of us are silently hoping for something magical—a breakthrough, a lucky break, an opportunity that will change everything. But we put conditions around it. We want it to come quietly. Without discomfort. Without vulnerability. Without another human being seeing us receive it.

That’s why a waitress might refuse a $500 tip. It’s not arrogance. It’s not pride. It’s self-protection. Accepting a life-changing gift can feel like exposure. It challenges the entire internal belief system we’ve constructed about what we deserve. About what’s “normal” for us.

But here’s the catch: if we’re not ready for the miracle, we’ll say no to it—even when it shows up.

Gratitude is the Breakthrough

This is where gratitude enters the picture—not as a soft emotion, but as a powerful tool. A key to unlocking the resistance we’ve built around receiving what’s good.

Imagine if that same waitress, fully aware of her worth, looked the tipper in the eye and said:

“This absolutely changes my life. Thank you. I am so grateful. Are you sure you want to do this? Because this means so much to me.”

That moment becomes bigger than just money. It becomes human. Shared. Holy.

Gratitude transforms a transaction into a connection. It honors the giver and elevates the receiver. It’s not entitlement. It’s not arrogance. It’s the courage to say yes—and to say it fully.

Luck is When Preparation Meets Opportunity

This truth was once shared with me by a pastor named Mike Walker, and it’s never left me: Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

It’s a saying that many people have heard, but few actually apply. Preparation doesn’t just mean skill. It means readiness—mental, emotional, spiritual. It means being the kind of person who can receive the thing they’ve prayed for.

The miracle might already be circling your life. But the real question is—will you be ready when it lands?

Final Thought

We don’t need more resistance to good things. We need more openness. More readiness. More gratitude.

So whatever it is you’re waiting for—be it love, money, recognition, or purpose—start preparing now. Not just in your work, but in your heart. Know that when the opportunity comes, it’s not a mistake. You’re not being tricked. You’re not taking advantage.

You’re simply saying yes. With gratitude.

And that changes everything.