Thanksgiving Encouragement for When Thanksgiving Is Hard
The first rays of morning sunlight stretch through the frosted windowpane. For an instant, I forget that it’s Thanksgiving day. On this day when much of the world celebrates, I could use some Thanksgiving encouragement for my hurting heart.
Maybe Thanksgiving is hard for you this year, too.
You want to embrace this season and give thanks for the gifts in your life, but giving thanks just isn’t cutting it.
If this is your story today, I invite you to join me as we stand on encouraging words amid our discouragement. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook for hope and comfort.
Thanksgiving Encouragement for the Hurting
What do we do when our worlds fall apart and the holidays suddenly hurt?
I don’t pretend to know how it feels to be in any shoes other than my own. However, I can share the reminders I’m offering to myself today.
1. When the holidays are hard, find one person to encourage.
Those who refresh others will, themselves, be refreshed.
When it’s hard to find a reason to be thankful, break the chains of discouragement by becoming someone else’s reason to give thanks.
Here are a few practical ideas:
Call an elderly or lonely loved one.
Deliver a gift to a neighbor.
Compliment at a cashier.
Show up at work with an extra coffee for a coworker.
Put a note in a child’s backpack or lunchbox.
Text a loved one just to say you care.
2. Stop what you’re doing and give thanks for just one thing.
The kids and I found ourselves caught in a torrential downpour a half mile from the house this summer.
Sitting in the double stroller with the puppy, a downpour began, and it literally could not have rained harder. I ran as fast as possible while the water pounded us in white sheets that tore at our skin.
Caleb screamed in terror, and Bekah yelled something I couldn’t quite understand amid the downpour. When we finally found shelter in the garage, I realized Bekah was cheering in sheer joy. “That was awesome!” she yelled. “I’ll never forget it in my whole life!”
Some situations are far more dire than getting caught in a summer rain shower, but Bekah’s attitude was an important reminder to me that day: In every hard situation, there’s something that’s good.
I invite you to stop what you’re doing, look around, and give thanks for one blessing in your life. Set a timer on your phone to remind yourself to do this at least once a day, and you will encourage your heart in the meantime.
3. Connect with someone else.
A sense of isolation makes a dark season seem even darker.
It’s often most difficult to reach out to others when we’re going through hard times, but this is exactly when we most need the support of a caring community.
When it’s hard to give thanks for anything at all, it’s probably time to pick up the phone and text a friend, get in the car and drive to visit a relative, or jump online and look for a group that might offer support within the community.
4. Bring your burdens to the One who can handle them.
Not long ago, our finances took a hard hit, and we found ourselves in a desolate situation. As a result, we changed the way we spent money: If it wasn’t an absolute necessity, we weren’t buying it.
Sadly, this financial strain fell at a time when everyone else in the neighborhood was decorating their doorsteps with colorful mums and plump pumpkins. Deeming these decorations luxuries, I committed to abstain from spending even a few dollars.
Praying for pumpkins felt trivial when families across the world have gone days without food; nevertheless, I prayed for free pumpkins anyway.
Not an hour later, my mom called to tell me that they had grown pumpkins in the garden and had pumpkins waiting for us at the house.
I’d been wishing for a pumpkin for weeks. The moment became a reminder that God hears our prayers.
He doesn’t always provide according to our hopes. A pumpkin doesn’t always arrive on the doorstep. Nevertheless, we can trust that he hears the prayers of his children and answers in his perfect timing.
Because I know that God is already aware of my burdens, I sometimes neglect to pray about my needs, my pain, and my desires.
Meanwhile, God calls us to ask, seek, and knock.
He wants us to bring our burdens to him and unload. He can handle the heaviest burden, and he is capable of pulling us from the depths of discouragement.
Remember That You Are Never Alone:
Lastly, God promises to go with us, even through the darkest valleys, even when we have no sense of his presence.
When I can find little else for which to give thanks, I give thanks for this: He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
When I can find little else for which to give thanks, I give thanks for this: He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). #gratitude #Thanksgiving Share on XFriend, God has not left your side. This, too, shall pass. Lean into him, and let him carry you through this time.
Calling All Parents (and Grandparents)!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Calling All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional with More Thanksgiving Encouragement:
If you are coming out of a difficult season or need some Thanksgiving encouragement, I have a gift for you. Hope for Hard Days is my free 10-day online devotional to help you hold onto hope when life is tough. You will find 10 readings to help you connect with God and claim his peace. Click here and I’ll send it to your email inbox today for free with promo code HOPE. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
