A Heart Full of Thanks: Looking Back on Blessings We Sometimes Forget

Some years, Thanksgiving looks exactly the way we want it to. The table is full, the house is buzzing, and kids and grandkids are running through the halls like joyful little tornadoes. Then there are the years, like this one, where the blessings are still there… they’re just arranged a little differently.

This past Thanksgiving, two of my children and several of my grandchildren were able to be here. The laughter, the noise, the crumbs on the floor, all of it filled me right up. But I also felt that familiar tug of missing my other son and his family. And even though my parents are still healthy and doing well, we weren’t able to celebrate with them or with my siblings who live hours away.

Years ago, that kind of “half-full table” Thanksgiving might have sent me spinning. I would have focused on the missing chairs, the empty plates, the silence on the other end of the house. But the Lord has had years and years to work on this heart of mine, and He’s patient even when I’m not. So, instead of dwelling on who wasn’t here, I kept thinking about what God has given me… and the list is long, Gurls.

It reminded me of a trip we had to cancel back in 2020, when the world felt upside down, and none of us knew what tomorrow held. I remember fully expecting to sit at home scrolling through photos of my friends on the beach, feeling deprived and pouty. I was mentally prepared for a championship-level pity party. Instead, something completely unexpected happened.

I felt peace.

Not the ‘fake it till you make it’ peace. Not the ‘grit your teeth and deal with it’ peace. The real kind. The kind that seeps into the cracks of your heart and settles everything down. The kind that makes absolutely no sense unless you’ve felt the Lord wrap His arms around you.

Philippians 4:6–7 came alive for me that year, and honestly, it has followed me every year since.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Some verses we read.
Some verses we memorize.
But every now and then, we get to actually live a verse, and it changes us.

This year wasn’t nearly as dramatic as 2020, thank goodness. But we all still had things we missed. People we missed. Traditions we missed. Life doesn’t stop handing out disappointments just because the calendar flips. But God doesn’t stop handing out blessings either… and that is what I wanted to sit with this week.

It isn’t about what wasn’t on the table.
It’s about who God still seats at our table, year after year.
And all the gifts He gives us in between.

Below are the same “Thankful F’s” I wrote about during the pandemic, but I’ve refreshed them with a little more perspective… and maybe a little more wisdom.

Food

Yes, I still burn the bread. Some things never change. But to have food on the table, warm dishes coming out of the oven, and people to share it with is a blessing that deserves to be said out loud.

Funds

I’m thankful for the ability to pay the bills, turn on the heat, and bless others when I can. Even small giving matters, especially to charities that struggle during difficult times. Generosity doesn’t require wealth, only willingness.

Floor Under our Feet and a Roof Over our Heads

I say it every year, but it’s still true. My house isn’t the fanciest, but it’s warm and safe. My roof doesn’t leak, my floors aren’t dirt, and I don’t lie awake wondering where I’ll sleep tonight. That’s a blessing people forget to count.

Flushing toilets and Electricity

If you have ever visited a family that didn’t have indoor plumbing, you understand this one more than most. Running water and electricity are modern miracles we treat like they’re nothing. They’re not nothing. They’re everything.

Fitness

Am I in the shape I want to be in? No. Am I able to walk, breathe, bend, stretch, and get on with my life? Yes. Do I have doctors, medication, and the ability to care for my health? Yes. These are blessings worth noticing.

Fashion Blogs/Technology

We forget how lucky we are to live in a time where connection is one tap away. Recipes, weather, devotionals, sermons, medical information, family photos, recipe fails, the whole world at our fingertips. Even in the hard years, technology helped keep us connected.

Faithfulness

Everything else on this list could disappear tomorrow, but the Lord’s faithfulness will not. He carries us when we’re strong, and He carries us harder when we’re not. He forgives our complaining, comforts our hearts, and never leaves us stranded.

Psalms 145:17 (NIV)
¹⁷ The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.

Every day won’t be perfect. Every holiday won’t feel the same. But if we take a moment to look back, really look, the blessings start to pile up.

Try this with me:
List three things from yesterday that you’re thankful for.
They don’t have to be big. Sometimes the smallest blessings are the ones that warm us the most.

To GOD Goes The Glory!

Have A Blessed Day!

Let’s End With a Prayer

Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness through every season, every change, and every unexpected moment. Help us to see the blessings in front of us instead of dwelling on the ones we think we missed. Guard our hearts with Your peace and remind us daily that gratitude grows where we plant it. Bless our families near and far and keep us centered on Your goodness. Amen.