A Sacred Pause
There is something sacred about this time of year. Not because of the food or the traditions—though I enjoy all of that—but because Thanksgiving invites us to pause, look around, and truly see the goodness of God woven into the fabric of our lives.
When we think of Thanksgiving, our minds often picture warm gatherings, familiar traditions, and the aroma of a meal shared with the people we love. But the very first Thanksgiving looked nothing like the celebrations we know today. It was born out of hardship, loss, and uncertainty.
The Pilgrims who gathered in 1621 had buried nearly half their number during that brutal winter. They were far from home, carving out a fragile existence in a new land. And yet—despite all they lacked, despite all they had endured—they paused to give thanks. Why? Because in the midst of their pain, they recognized God’s hand of provision. They were grateful for survival, for community, for the harvest God had given, and for the unexpected friendships—like those with the Wampanoag people—who helped them endure.
Their gratitude was not rooted in abundance. It was rooted in God’s faithfulness. And that spirit still calls to us today.
The Lens of Gratitude
Over the years, a simple truth has become very clear to me: gratitude is not just a response—it is a lens. It changes how we see God. It changes how we see people. It changes how we see ourselves.
If I’ve learned anything walking with the Lord, it’s this: life’s “No” is often just the prelude to God’s “Yes.”
Again and again in my own journey, doors I wanted to walk through closed firmly in my face. Opportunities vanished. Plans unraveled. What I hoped would happen… didn’t. And yet, looking back, I can say with confidence that some of the greatest blessings God ever brought into my life came after a “No” I didn’t understand.
What felt like rejection was actually protection. What felt like a setback was repositioning. What felt like loss was preparation for something better.
And here is what I discovered along the way: the door that leads from life’s “No” to God’s “Yes” swings on the hinge of a grateful heart.
Gratitude does something deep in the soul. It keeps us from growing bitter. It keeps our hearts soft. It keeps our eyes open to the God who is still working, still moving, still writing our story even when the page we’re on feels dark.
Gratitude empowers us to see beyond the hopelessness of the moment we are in, to the everlasting hope we have as an anchor for our soul in the storm-tossed seas of life.
Breaking Through the Clouds
There have been many times when I was flying on overcast, dreary days. I would taxi to the runway, receive clearance, and begin my takeoff roll. The wheels would leave the ground, I’d retract the landing gear, and the aircraft would begin its climb into a thick ceiling of dark, heavy clouds. For a few moments, everything around me would be gray—cold, damp, and joyless.
But then it would happen.
The nose of my plane would pierce through the top of the cloud layer, and suddenly everything changed. Below me a blanket of white, like soft cotton… around me a horizon stretching without end… and above me the most brilliant, beautiful, crystal-blue sky. Every single time, it took my breath away.
You see, the sun was always shining. The blue sky was always there. I simply had to climb through the clouds to reach it. A thankful heart sees past the dark clouds—it remembers that God’s sun is still shining bright just above.
This is why gratitude matters so deeply. A grateful heart chooses to believe that God is working—even when the sky looks dark. A grateful heart looks for His goodness—even in the smallest details. A grateful heart sees blessing hidden inside what feels like a burden. A grateful heart finds grace where others only see gloom.
Paul wrote, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Not for everything—but in everything, we can give thanks, because God is present, faithful, and redeeming every piece of our story. God’s grace is always sufficient! A grateful heart somehow always receives that grace.
As you gather with family and friends this Thanksgiving, I encourage you to look for the places where God’s goodness is quietly shining through. The small things. The subtle things. The hidden things. Look back with gratitude, look around with awareness, and look forward with expectation.
God has been good.
God is being good.
And God will continue to be good—because that is who He is.
My prayer for you this Thanksgiving is simple: May gratitude fill your heart, may peace steady your steps, and may God’s grace meet you in every season of your journey.
Happy Thanksgiving from my heart to yours.