Carrying Gratitude Forward
As November comes to a close, it’s easy to shift into full holiday mode — planning, decorating, cooking, and trying to keep up with the whirlwind of the season. The lights start going up, the calendar fills, and before we know it, the pace of life speeds up again. But before you move on, take one quiet moment to pause and reflect.
Look back at what God has done this year. The ways He’s provided. The doors He’s opened — and even the ones He’s gently closed for your protection. Think about the prayers He’s answered, not always in the way you expected, but in the way you needed. Gratitude grows deeper when we take time to remember His faithfulness.
I think sometimes we treat gratitude like a reaction — something we feel when things are going well — rather than a rhythm. But the more I walk with God, the more I realize gratitude is something we practice. It’s not a once-a-year activity, it’s a daily posture of the heart.
When we carry gratitude into the next season, it transforms how we experience it. It slows our pace. It softens our hearts. It reminds us that every new morning is a gift and that even in the waiting, God is still working. Gratitude takes our eyes off what’s missing and helps us see what’s already right in front of us.
So, let me ask you — have we made it a habit to practice gratitude? Not just when everything feels easy, but even when life feels uncertain?
Maybe this week is a good time to start again. Try keeping a simple gratitude list — one small thing each day that you thank God for. Maybe it’s the way the morning sun hits your kitchen table. Maybe it’s a text from a friend who encouraged you at the right moment. Maybe it’s just the fact that His mercies are new every morning.
Gratitude changes us. It strengthens our faith and reminds us that no matter what lies ahead, we’ve seen His goodness before — and we’ll see it again.
“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” — Lamentations 3:22–23
With love and gratitude,
Lynn