Good morning, friend. I want to talk about something that sounds simple but has quietly changed how I get through hard seasons: thanking God before the answer shows up, not just after. It’s easy to say “thank you” once the bill is paid, the test comes back clear, or the relationship finally mends. It’s a whole different kind of faith to whisper thank you while you’re still waiting in the hallway, not knowing which door is about to open.
I’ve been in that hallway more times than I can count. Raising five kids, keeping a marriage healthy, running my little shop, trying to take care of myself in the middle of it all — there’s always something I could be anxious about instead of grateful for. But I’ve learned that gratitude isn’t denial. It’s not pretending everything is fine. It’s choosing to notice what’s already good while I wait for what’s still coming.
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Notice it doesn’t say give thanks for all circumstances. Some things that happen to us are not good, and God never asks us to pretend they are. It says give thanks in all circumstances — in the middle of the mess, the waiting room, the unanswered question. That’s a completely different thing. It means gratitude and grief, gratitude and uncertainty, gratitude and a calendar full of things you didn’t plan for — they can all sit at the same table.
Gratitude Isn’t a Reward for When Things Get Better
For a long time I treated thankfulness like a prize I’d earn once life calmed down — once the kids slept through the night, once the money stretched further, once I felt more like myself again. But gratitude was never meant to be the finish line. It’s meant to be the fuel that gets you down the road. Thanking God for the small, steady things — a roof over our heads, a friend who checks in, a quiet cup of coffee before the house wakes up — doesn’t mean I’ve stopped believing for more. It just means I’m not waiting for more to show up before I let my heart soften.
I keep a little Praying Angel Relief Magnet from my shop on the fridge, right at eye level, for exactly this reason. Every single time I open that door — and let’s be honest, with five kids that’s about forty times a day — I catch a glimpse of her praying hands and it tugs me back to center for just a second. A whispered “thank you, Lord” in the middle of making lunches does more for my spirit than I expected it to.
Journal Prompt
Take a minute today and write down three things you’re grateful for that have nothing to do with your circumstances improving — things that are simply true right now, in the middle of whatever you’re walking through. Then finish this sentence: “Even while I wait for ______ to change, I can still say thank you for ______.” Let that be your prayer today, not a wish, but a thank-you offered in advance.
Wherever you are today — in the waiting, in the in-between, in the middle of an ordinary Monday that doesn’t feel like much of anything — I hope you can find one small thing to be thankful for before the breakthrough ever arrives. He is good, friend, even on the days it’s hard to feel it. Especially on those days.
Sending you so much love today, friend. 🤍
If you’d like a little faith-filled reminder of your own to keep nearby, come say hi at Shop My Cozy Cottage Collection — every piece is made with so much love and a whole lot of prayer.
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