Thanksgiving often brings to mind images of food-filled tables, family gatherings, and if you are like me, football! I love the savory aroma of Thanksgiving dinner filling the house, sharing a wonderful meal with my family, and later that evening having turkey sandwiches and pumpkin pie! However, for many people, Thanksgiving may be a day that brings mixed emotions; joy and blessing, yes, but also loneliness, stress, anxiety, grief, and maybe mourning. As believers, how do we navigate this season with a heart anchored in faith, especially when life feels heavy?
-Gratitude is a Spiritual Practice
God’s word reminds us to practice gratitude. We read in Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:4-7). I love how Paul added “with thanksgiving” in this text. Thanksgiving, or gratitude, is a key component which brings forth the peace of God. I also appreciate the inclusion of the word ‘supplication.’ The Greek word for ‘supplication’ used here is deésis and means a heartfelt petition or request made to God with a deep, earnest or desire. Supplication becomes the quiet doorway through which our innermost being leans into the Father’s embrace.
The late Dr. Hans Selye, a leader in stress research, and well-known for The Attitude of Gratitude, suggested if one was high in gratitude, one would be low in stress. Think of it like a teeter-totter or seesaw. Do you remember these from your elementary school playground days? I fondly remember playing on these during recess. I would always try to shoot myself up as fast as I could while a friend was on the other end eagerly waiting for his turn to do the same. Gratitude and stress act in the same manner as the teeter-totter; as one goes up, the other goes down. The apostle Paul writes, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Th 5:18). This verse does not say to give thanks for all circumstances, rather, to give thanks in all circumstances.
If gratitude feels hard to find this year, open your heart before the Lord and let Him gently hold every feeling you bring. Let gentleness toward yourself lead the way. Turn your heart slowly toward gratitude. Begin with something small-just one blessing. Perhaps a fleeting moment of comfort or connection, the quiet delight of your favorite coffee, or a tender conversation with a friend. With each little seed of gratitude we plant, the mind learns to search the hidden garden of blessings and there it will see the Creator’s hand in our lives.
-Thanksgiving Can Bring Stress, but it Can Also Bring an Invitation to Grace
Speaking of stress, family gatherings… Do I even need to finish this thought?? (see my previous blog ‘Are You Spending Extra Time with Family this Year…’). It’s often said what we need most is also what can wound us most - relationships. Time with family can stir both warmth and strain. Yet, in an odd way, family gatherings tend to be a wonderful opportunity to live out Scripture, “bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” (Col. 3:13). I write this smiling to myself as I think of some family gatherings- bearing with one another ✔, complaint against another ✔✔, for you must do (forgive)…well…
We can be loving without accepting hurtful behaviors. We can be kind and still have healthy
boundaries. We can choose peace and our level of engagement. I want to invite you to bring a bounty of grace; underserved merit. View others, and yourself, the way God views you, and them. Not through the lens of our hurts and wounds or the lies we’ve picked up about ourselves. But the way our heavenly Father views us, His beloved creation (Gen. 1:31), valuable and worth pursuing (Luke 15:1-7), redeemable and worth restoring (2 Cor. 5:17), and sons and daughters of the King (Gal. 4:7). Remember, gratitude and grace begin as choices of the heart.
-For Those Who are Hurting
For some, holidays can be a time of immense pain. An empty chair at the table, a missing laughter or smile, or a tradition that now may seem like a long, lost memory. It may be terribly difficult to practice gratitude or grace during times like this. Will you allow me to encourage you? God sees you. God loves you. You are not alone in your hurt. The Psalmist writes, “The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Ps. 34:18). Grief is not a sign of weakness; on the contrary, grief is a sign of great love. When we put our hope in God, we receive a peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil.4:7). Allow yourself to grieve, offer your tears to the Savior. Allow yourself to mourn, lay your pain in God’s gentle hands. Allow yourself to heal, trust His grace to bind what is broken.
Whether this season brings with it celebration or struggle, I pray that you experience the peace, love, and grace of God that surpasses all understanding, and may gratitude and grace become the quiet, steady rhythm that settles over you like a soft, familiar warmth you’ve known forever. As for me, I’m going back for another piece of pumpkin pie!
Dr. Troy Masengale is a Licensed Professional Counselor at the
Christian Counseling Center of Battle Creek.