I have had struggles throughout my life and am so thankful to

Andy Dalton once proclaimed with humility and faith: “I have had struggles throughout my life and am so thankful to have Jesus Christ to turn everything over to.” These words, though spoken by an athlete, carry the weight of eternal wisdom. For in them we hear the acknowledgment of human frailty, the recognition of life’s storms, and the hope found in surrendering to a power greater than oneself. It is a reminder that strength does not lie only in self-reliance, but in trust, in faith, and in the courage to lay burdens at the feet of the divine.

The ancients, too, understood the limits of human power. The Greeks turned to the gods of Olympus in times of despair; the Israelites cried out to Yahweh when bondage crushed them; the early Christians clung to the cross when persecution surrounded them. Dalton’s words echo this ancient posture of surrender. To admit one’s struggles is not weakness—it is honesty. And to entrust them to Jesus Christ is to walk in the footsteps of countless souls who found light in the midst of darkness, hope in the midst of despair.

The heart of his statement is thankfulness. Gratitude transforms suffering. A man who endures hardship and curses the heavens remains chained by bitterness, but one who suffers and yet is thankful finds his soul strengthened. Dalton does not deny the struggles of his journey, but he rejoices that he need not bear them alone. This is a truth repeated across the ages: that suffering shared with God becomes not a crushing stone, but a refining fire.

Consider the story of Martin Luther King Jr. In the face of imprisonment, threats, and hatred, he confessed that his greatest source of courage came not from his own strength but from prayer and trust in Christ. In moments when despair might have silenced him, he turned everything over to God. This surrender did not make him passive—it made him fearless, for he knew his cause rested on something far greater than himself. Dalton’s words, though quieter in tone, reflect this same eternal lesson: that the act of turning over our burdens is not defeat but empowerment.

The meaning of this quote also lies in the mystery of surrender. The world often teaches us to grasp, to control, to carry every weight upon our shoulders. Yet the wise know that there are burdens no human can bear alone. By turning them over to Jesus Christ, Dalton reminds us that surrender is not the end of effort—it is the beginning of true strength. For the warrior who kneels in faith rises stronger than the one who refuses to bow.

The lesson is clear: in life, struggles are inevitable. No one escapes hardship, whether in the form of loss, doubt, failure, or pain. But what we do with those struggles determines our destiny. To fight them alone leads to exhaustion; to share them with Christ leads to peace. Thankfulness is the bridge between despair and hope, for it shifts the heart from bitterness to trust, from self-reliance to divine reliance.

Practical counsel may be given. When you face trials, speak them aloud in prayer. Name your fears, your failures, your sorrows, and consciously release them into God’s hands. Cultivate a daily practice of gratitude, not only for blessings but even for the struggles, knowing they can refine you. And seek strength in community, for often God’s help comes through the presence and encouragement of others who walk beside you.

Thus, Dalton’s words stand as a modern testimony of ancient truth: “I am thankful to have Jesus Christ to turn everything over to.” Let us take this teaching into our own hearts, that we may not crumble beneath life’s storms but rise above them, carried by the One who bears all burdens. For the greatest strength is not found in denying our weakness, but in trusting the One who transforms weakness into victory.