Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. Our family loves to gather around a table covered with a big turkey, mashed potatoes, buttered squash, strawberry ice cream Jello, yeast rolls, and carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Then we linger and individually share what we’re thankful for this year. Our sharing time always includes a healthy balance of laughter and a few tears.
But something is different this year. We’ve just gotten word that one of our siblings is facing a dire diagnosis following two months of not knowing what was causing great discomfort, pain, and exhaustion. We’ll know more soon, following all test results, but our hearts are heavy because our love runs deep.
For some of you reading this, the holiday feels less like comfort and more like a magnifying glass on what’s missing. Perhaps this year finds you facing an empty chair, a difficult diagnosis, a bank account that won’t stretch to cover expenses, or circumstances that have shattered your expectations.
Here’s what I want you to know: thanksgiving isn’t reserved for the easy seasons. In fact, some of the most powerful gratitude emerges not from abundance, but from the deliberate choice to praise God when everything in us wants to complain.
As Ann Voskamp writes, “Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.”
Here are seven transformative ways to make this Thanksgiving genuinely significant, regardless of your circumstances.
1. Start a gratitude journal—today.
Before Thursday arrives, begin writing down three specific things you’re grateful for each day. Not generic blessings, but precise gifts: the neighbor who smiled at you, the medication that’s working, the friend who texted at just the right moment. This practice trains our hearts to notice God’s faithfulness in the details. As Charles Spurgeon reminds us, “It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.”
2. Invite someone to your Thanksgiving dinner who has nowhere to go.
Open your table—or your heart—to someone facing the holiday alone. This might mean inviting a college student far from home, a widow from church, or a single parent struggling to make ends meet. If hosting isn’t possible due to your own limitations, a phone call or delivered plate can become holy ground. Generosity doesn’t require abundance; it requires availability.
3. Send hand-written thank-you notes.
Select five people who’ve impacted your life and write them detailed, heartfelt notes expressing your gratitude. Tell your pastor how a specific sermon changed your perspective. Thank the friend who showed up during your hardest season. Let your child’s teacher know they’re seen. These notes become treasures that people keep for years, reminding them that their lives matter.
4. Create a blessing board.
Gather your family and have everyone contribute handwritten blessings on sticky notes throughout the week. Post them on a wall or board where you’ll all see them daily. This visual reminder of God’s goodness becomes especially powerful when discouragement threatens. Philippians 4:8 calls us to think on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right”—this practice makes that tangible.
5. Practice the discipline of enough.
Intentionally simplify your Thanksgiving. Scale back the menu, reduce the expectations, release the pressure for perfection. Contentment, as Paul discovered in Philippians 4:11-12, is learned through every circumstance. Sometimes the most significant celebration happens when we stop striving and simply receive what’s already present.
6. Turn your pain into prayer for others.
If you’re struggling this season, channel that empathy toward others facing similar battles. Pray specifically for those experiencing the same health crisis, financial strain, or relational fracture you’re navigating. As Max Lucado says, “Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.”
7. Declare truth over your circumstances.
Speak God’s promises aloud, especially when feelings contradict them. “The Lord is good to me. His mercies are new this morning. He has not abandoned me.” This isn’t denial—it’s defiance against despair. It’s choosing to trust the character of God when His methods confuse us.
This Thanksgiving, dare to believe that gratitude isn’t the result of perfect circumstances; it’s the catalyst that transforms whatever circumstances we’re in into something praiseworthy. Our significant thanksgiving celebration begins not with what we have, but with what we choose to see.
Question: How are you celebrating Thankgiving this year? If this is a challenging holiday, how can I pray for you?
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Carol,
Thank you for your suggestions for a Happy Thanksgiving! Such great ideas to help everyone.. God Bless you and your family ❤️!
Wishing you all joy and peace . Prayers for your family member awaiting the diagnosis.
Thnks so much, Julie! Have a blessed Thanksgiving with your family.
Our only child and grandchildren are leaving for the mission field overseas. This is our last day with them for who knows how long.
I’ve been reading your book When I Lay My Issac Down. It’s helping me let go.
The thought of no more family (very few extended family) I feel overwhelmed by sadness and loneliness.
Everyone at church thinks it’s so wonderful, but they aren’t the ones facing every day and holidays alone from now on.
It’s difficult when God Himself takes someone away from you, where do I turn for comfort when I’m upset with Him for choosing other people over us?
Kay, what a bittersweet experience for you. I’m sure you’re thrilled to see them follow God’s call, but overwhelmed with the sadness of needing to relinquish regular visits while they are on the mission field. You definitely selected the right book. For me, relinquishment is still a daily choice in my own circumstances. I’m praying right now that God will cover you with comfort and peace. I’m also praying that you’ll be able to have regular FaceTime calls with those precious grandchildren.
Thank you. I am extremely grateful for women like you who show us that despite very difficult circumstances, God is there and there is always something to be thankful for. So one of the things I am grateful for is you! Thank you! Thank you for hope, faith, and your powerful way to bring me out of my circumstances into praying for others!
Thanks a powerful word of encouragement, Jo! Thanks so much for your comment!
Praying for a miracle healing for your sibling..
Thank you so much! Your prayers are greatly appreciated.
What a great word – gratitude for what we can’t see! I once had a “Count it all joy” party with my kids in a tough time, complete with balloons and cake. Thank you for the reminder to look deeper, and praise the Lord in the midst of the storm. He is still good! Happy Thanksgiving!
What a great idea to have a “Count It All Joy” party, Marilyn! Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!
Dear Carol, thank you for sharing this beautiful and timely encouragement. May I please share this with my online reader group and link to your blog? I know my broken heart is not alone in “facing an empty chair” this year at our Thanksgiving table and I’m certain your words will minister to my readers as they have me.
I’m very sorry about the heaviness of the diagnosis within your family. May God strengthen and sustain you.
Jill, thank you for your encouraging note. Yes, you are welcome to share this content with you online reader group, with a link to the blog. My prayer is that it will be an encouragement to them.
What a beautiful reminder to be grateful in every circumstance, Carol, and to allow ourselves a little grace when we feel overwhelmed by life–especially during the holidays. How much better it is to simplify a bit and to truly enjoy the people around us.
That’s a great word, Jennie! Thanks so much!
I always think of you and your precious family at the holidays. You’re always a great inspiration of gratitude and making the best of difficult situations. Blessings to you all during this season of the year!
Hi Jill, thank you for your encouraging words. Have a blessed holiday season!
Thank you for words that hit deep and align with our family journey. I have used your words in my visits to see my son in prison and shared your books. I recently had a mom of a son I shared your book with thank me for sharing it with her at the same lime going in to visit our sons.
Michelle, Thank you for sharing my book with a mom who shares our journey. I’m praying for you and for her as I write this note.
Thank you so much Carol for the 7 Unexpected Ways to Make Thanksgiving Significant, and the blessed gift of all of your heartfelt Godly wisdom at SpeakUp and in your books that you have shared with so many over the years!! I hear in your story and voice that it has not been easy!! Thank You for all you and your family does. GREAT will be your family’s reward my friend!!!
I am praying for God’s healing for your sibling and praying for God to give you all His strength, peace, and comfort at this difficult time. He knows what we need even when we don’t….
God Bless You All!
What an uplifting word, Lynn! Thank you for your prayers. My sister, Paula’s diagnosis has been confirmed. She has stage 4 pancreatic cancer. We are praying for a miracle. Have a blessed Christmas.