Thankful Even When Life Hurts

Thanksgiving conjures up big celebrations with tons of family and friends, huge amounts of food around tables, joyful laughter, and ease of life.

But for many, behind this facade, lies lost hopes, dreams unfulfilled, financial struggles, health challenges, broken relationships, severed hearts, loneliness, or grief. 

And for those people it’s very difficult to fabricate a thankful mindset.

We all know someone who has suffered a broken heart. Maybe it's a family member, a close friend, an acquaintance, a friend of a friend, who has gone through a divorce, suffering from a health issue, experienced a death, has a fractured relationship that might seem irreparable.

Whatever has happened, someone’s heart has been severed into a million pieces, and they don't know where to go or what to do.

Or it might even be your heart that’s been shattered; you might even be the one who’s feeling broken inside and out, and there’s no where to turn.

Jesus said that one of his purposes is to heal the broken-hearted and to bind up their wounds. But what does this even mean when you can't even begin to imagine how it's at all possible to be happy when the wounds are so deep and you feel crushed by the weight of concerns and a busted-up heart.

But, as we celebrate this Thanksgiving weekend, it's my hope that despite the many problems, challenges and difficulties that are ever present in our lives, we can find a way to focus on what we can praise our God for.

Scripture reminds us that the Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18); that he heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3); that the Lord has anointed Jesus to proclaim good news to the poor, to comfort all who mourn, and to give them a crown of beauty instead of the ashes that seem to cover them, to offer them the oil of joy instead of the mourning that has invaded their lives, and to gift them with a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair that falls heavily upon them (Isaiah 61:1-3).

Jesus tell us that he is gentle and humble in heart, and he urges us to come to him when we are weary and burdened because he will us give rest for our souls (Matthew 11:28-30); and finally, the apostle Peter encourages us to cast all our anxieties, all our cares on Jesus, because Jesus really does care for us (1 Peter 5:7).

Our God is a great and mighty God who is able to do even more than we ask. So, on this thanksgiving weekend, let’s endeavour to put our hope and trust in him, and give him our cares and fears.

We can be thankful that God is really on our side, that he has our back, he wants us to have peace no matter what’s going on in our lives, and he wants to heal our hurting hearts. It’s my hope that we can find a way to express our gratitude to him even when life hurts.

This weekend let us rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!...because the Lord is near to us. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things…And the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:4-9).

This image is AI-generated, but every word on this blog is written by me, from my own heart, faith, & lived experience, with NO AI generation, writing, editing, or polishing.

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