It’s that time of the year again… When the leaves turn to red and orange. When scarves and boots are the go-to wardrobe. When candles, books, and blankets become the main weekend activities. When it’s socially acceptable to eat pumpkin pie for breakfast.
It’s the time when gratitude moves to the forefront of people’s minds. I love this time of year! There’s a coziness in both the physical and mental environments for people who readily embrace the change of seasons.
Even for those whose Thanksgiving season carries reminders of past grief, they can often still find a glimmer of hope in remembering what they’re thankful for. There’s a peaceful beauty in seeing hope when you’re surrounded by pain. To me, this is at the heart of gratitude.
“Gratitude is seeing and celebrating the good around you.”
In fact, I think the juxtaposition of this beauty and pain is what makes gratitude different from thankfulness. We can express gratitude to God for a variety of things while simultaneously not being thankful for the difficulties in our lives.
“The way of gratitude is not just about keeping a list of what we’re thankful for; it is an embodiment of the gift of salvation through Christ seeping into every part of our lives.”
Gratitude invites curiosity in the middle of our pain as we marvel at God.
“It is the inner knowing that in the end, everything is going to be okay. It is inviting Holy Spirit to align our hearts with the goodness of God. It is the thought dwelling in the back of our minds that God can be trusted no matter what happens, and the action of choosing to trust him. It is not a feeling, it is a lifestyle focused on the one from whom all good things come.”
This is the truth of gratitude; it’s about God’s goodness in our lives.
And this is what the 21 Days of Gratitude Challenge is all about, too.
Using The Way of Gratitude, we will embark on a three week journey to embrace these truths. Each day, I’ll be sharing a quote from each devotional encouraging you to see God with wonder, in awe and curiosity. You can order the book and read along for more context, taking you deeper into these truths. You can also join the Facebook group to engage in community prompts, making new friendships and strengthening old ones. Then, just for reading with us each day, you’ll earn entries to win a prize!
This will be slightly different from last year’s Gratitude Challenge. Instead of a daily email, this challenge will live primarily on social media. Each day, you can enter to win by visiting the 21 Days of Gratitude Challenge webpage and completing the entry form.
Walking the Walk Ministries and Legacy Roots Co have partnered with me to help you grow in gratitude, and ultimately in your faith. While we hope you purchase the book to read along, our goal is to make sure that all who come across the challenge experience the goodness of God. Feel free to reach out with any questions or share what you’re learning! We’d love to hear from you and support you this Thanksgiving season.
Ready for the challenge?
- Sign up
- Get the book
- Join the Gather & Grow Facebook group
- Invite a friend to join you
We start November 7!
