There’s no question about it — November tends to be the month for giving thanks. But, just as the meaning of Christmas might be overshadowed by consumerism and family drama, so too can the Thanksgiving season unintentionally become centered around overeating and cute turkey crafts (tracing our hands… you know the drill.)
This year I want my Thanksgiving season to be different.
Today I woke up with this whole year playing over and over in my mind. I was reflecting on a rapid vocational change that I sought only to reverse course and pursue another path. It’s been emotionally messy, spiritually growth filled, and just all around not what I anticipated for my 2026 bingo card (as the cool kids say.)
But here I am. About to walk right into yet another new year.
How do I want to finish this year?
It can be easy to try and superficially exude thankfulness because of a date on a calendar, and another thing to truly display gratitude to God for the gifts he has bestowed upon us.
Not solely material gifts, though those are important to express thanks for. I’m talking a gratitude when things are not going as planned, money is tight, goals shift, diagnosis’s come, marriage or parenting struggles are painful — yet even while enduring all of these kinds of things we possess a deep trust in the Lord, SOUL filled gratitude.
I have always struggled with my contentment while convincing myself the answer lies in the next big thing. The next transition, the next pivot, the next vacation, next, next, next.
But God has called me to be still. To be patient. To have rhythms and routines. To stop placing my hope in the next thing. To be present. To be in the here and now. To celebrate not only how he is dealing with all of the big and small facets of my life, but worship who he is, what he’s done, and what he will do.
God alone deserves praise and thanks. For our salvation. For his grace. For his care. For providing our daily bread. For another day of breath in our lungs. For friends. For holidays, feasts, amazing food, and celebrations with loved ones. He gives such good gifts.
With all of these thoughts pouring from my mind and heart, I thought it might be a great opportunity to do a little Gratitude Challenge on social media.
For the rest of November, I am going to try and post everyday about something I am deeply thankful for. It might be something big, it might be something small.
My hope in publicly expressing gratitude is that the posture of my heart will allow thankfulness to dwell in me with much more permanence. It is a welcome shift for a heart that is always chasing what’s next, never fully satisfied.
Jesus alone can satisfy the desires of the longing heart.
And oh how I need him.
So, I invite you to join me. Follow my instagram @livehislight for a daily post on gratitude. And perhaps post one of your own.
As always, thank you for reading today. Talk soon. — Sarah ☕️
