Having Difficulty Finding Reasons To Be Thankful?

You know what’s hard? Trying to find something to be thankful for when you are suffering.

Just as when you’re sick with a bad cold or flu and you find it difficult to read or concentrate on anything in particular, trying to focus on blessings in the midst of a painful experience like divorce can be just as difficult. You know it’s probably the right thing to do, and you know you should give it a try, but the pain and disappointment can be crippling to the point you just want to just crawl up in a corner and let the world pass you by.

If your divorce is making you feel this way as Thanksgiving approaches, I wanted to share some this little litany of gratitude I wrote with you, because I’ve spent many holidays trying to find the balance between feeling the appropriate level of sadness over my divorce and trying to be grateful for things I still had, or blessings that had come my way since it happened. I hope this will help you find your own reasons to be grateful:

For the gift of waking up this day, I thank you, Lord.
For the gift of my sight and being able to speak and hear, I thank you, Lord.
For the gift of your glorious nature and the beautiful world I live in, I thank you, Lord.
For a roof over my head, even if it isn’t mine, I thank you, Lord.
For the gift of free will and the ability to make my own choices, I thank you, Lord.
For the gift of being safe and sound, I thank you, Lord.
For the gift of my faith, I thank you, Lord.
For the gift of knowing what it is like to love, I thank you, Lord.
For the gift of my children and the opportunity to be a parent to your precious souls, I thank you, Lord.
For the gift of experiencing life as a child, brother or sister, parent, aunt, uncle or cousin, grandmother or grandfather, I thank you, Lord.
For the gift of my friends who love me, I thank you, Lord.
For the gift of experiencing a little of what you suffered for me as I carry my cross, I thank you, Lord.
For the gift of the good things you will bring out of my suffering, I thank you, Lord.
For the ways you will change my heart and help me become a better person because of what’s happened, I thank you, Lord.
For the little triumphs as well as the big ones, I thank you, Lord.
For the opportunity to offer my suffering up for others who are suffering, I thank you, Lord.
For forgiving me, for saving me, and for not forgetting about me, I thank you, Lord.
For calling me by name into existence out of all eternity and giving me a purpose in life, I thank you, Lord.
For loving me with the most perfect love anyone could ever experience, I thank you, Lord.
For the promise of eternal life with you in heaven, I thank you, Lord. Amen.

You may have many friends and relatives around you and still feel alone in the crowded room. You might have no one there to support you and be feeling ultimately discouraged. No matter what your situation is, please know that I pray for you, daily, and will offer special prayers for you this week as we celebrate Thanksgiving.

Feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].