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Andrea Fortenberry

How to be Thankful, Even When it’s Hard

November 22, 2019 By Andrea Fortenberry

22 Nov

Thanksgiving is less than a week away, can you believe it? The holiday season is in full swing! I’m hosting next week, so I have a lot to do between now and then. You probably do too.

While the holidays often bring about a lot of excitement and fun, they can also be just plain hard sometimes. Broken relationships, the loss of a loved one, or difficult circumstances can cast a shadow over what should be celebration.

Or maybe it’s the unexpected baffles of get-togethers that overwhelm us, like burning the turkey or the toilet overflowing while company is over.

Either way, it can be hard to be thankful at Thanksgiving sometimes.

But here’s the best thing we can do: be thankful anyway.

We don’t have to be thankful for our circumstances, but we can be thankful through them. We can be thankful that God is with us, no matter what we face.

Our thankfulness cannot be at the mercy of our circumstances, but firmly rooted in our certainty that God holds us, cares for us and works on our behalf.

Today and forevermore, let us resolve in our hearts that God is in control and He is worthy of praise. May this be our declaration this Thanksgiving:

  • Whether my Thanksgiving traditions stand or it’s just not the same as it used to be: Either way, Lord, I will praise you.
  • Whether the turkey is perfect or if it is dry: Either way, Lord, I will praise you.
  • Whether something goes wrong or it all goes smoothly: Either way, Lord, I will praise you.
  • Whether being thankful comes easy or if it is hard: Either way, Lord, I will praise you.

Friends, whichever way our Thanksgiving turns out, let us praise Him!

“For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good.”

Psalm 52:9 NIV

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Meet Andrea


Hi! I’m Andrea Fortenberry. I write and speak on marriage, motherhood, friendship and faith. I love to help women seek and see God in their everyday life. Being a wife and mother of two gives me lots of material and teaches me oh so many things.

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