““The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” ”
There’s a strange kind of quiet that comes after loss—when the familiar rhythms of your days suddenly stop, and you’re left standing in the stillness, wondering what comes next.
I remember sitting at my desk for the last time after losing a job I deeply loved. It wasn’t just a job to me—it was a calling, a place where I had poured out my heart, my time, and my prayers. When it was gone, I felt like a part of my identity had been stripped away.
Everything that once felt steady now felt uncertain. I tried to hold it together, to trust that God had a plan, but my heart was heavy. Gratitude felt far away—almost out of reach.
And yet, it was in that broken place that I began to learn what true thankfulness really means.
Gratitude Isn’t Denial—It’s Trust
When our hearts are broken, we often think gratitude means pretending everything is fine. But biblical gratitude isn’t denial; it’s trust.
It’s saying, “God, I don’t understand this, but I believe You’re still good.”
It’s choosing to thank Him not for the pain, but in it.
When I lost my job, I felt disoriented. I didn’t realize how much of my worth I had unknowingly attached to what I did instead of who I was in Christ. It was humbling and painful, but it was also holy. Because in the stripping away, God began rebuilding my foundation on something stronger—Himself.
As I wrestled through disappointment, I found comfort in Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” Those words reminded me that even when everything else felt distant, God wasn’t. He was right there, in the tears, the questions, and the quiet.
The Gift Hidden in the Loss
Looking back now, I can see that losing that job wasn’t the end—it was the beginning of something new. But I couldn’t see that at the time.
All I could see was what was gone.
What I didn’t know was that God was already writing the next chapter, one that would lead to deeper healing, clearer calling, and renewed trust.
The space I thought was empty was actually fertile ground.
It was the soil where God would grow new things—ministries, relationships, and opportunities I never would have pursued if I had stayed where I was comfortable.
Sometimes, gratitude begins not with joy but with surrender.
It’s a whispered, “Lord, even here… I thank You.”
When Gratitude Feels Like a Sacrifice
Hebrews 13:15 calls us to offer a “sacrifice of praise.”
That word—sacrifice—means it will cost us something.
When we’re heartbroken, thankfulness doesn’t come naturally. It requires faith. It’s a conscious choice to look for God’s hand even when we can’t see His plan.
During that season, I remember journaling prayers that were half tears and half thanks. I didn’t have answers, but I had Jesus. And somehow, that became enough.
The more I practiced gratitude, the more I realized it wasn’t changing my circumstances—it was changing me. My prayers shifted from “Why, God?” to “What are You showing me here?”
Gratitude began to soften the ache. It didn’t erase it, but it gave it purpose.
Thankfulness in the Midst of Becoming
In A Pace of Grace, I write about how God often meets us in the middle of our becoming—in the moments when life feels uncertain, but our faith is being stretched. This was one of those seasons.
Losing that job forced me to slow down, to listen, and to let God remind me that my value wasn’t in my title or productivity—it was in being His daughter.
I think that’s what gratitude does—it reorients our hearts. It pulls us out of the fog of self-pity and into the light of His presence. It reminds us that even when life feels broken, God is still working beauty into the pieces.
And isn’t that the heart of thanksgiving? Not that everything goes our way, but that we recognize God’s goodness hasn’t changed even when our world has.
A Gentle Challenge
This week, if your heart feels heavy, I want to encourage you to pause and ask:
Where can I thank God right here?
It might not be for what happened, but maybe you can thank Him for His nearness.
For the lessons you’re learning.
For the people who’ve walked beside you.
For the quiet that allows you to hear His voice again.
Write it down. Speak it out loud. Pray it through tears if you need to.
Because even in heartbreak, gratitude grows hope—and hope is what keeps us moving forward with faith.
A Prayer of Thankfulness
Lord, thank You for meeting me in the broken places.
Thank You that even when I don’t understand, You are still good, still near, still working.
Teach me to see Your hand in the hard things and to offer You my gratitude even when it feels costly.
Help me to trust that You are writing beauty into this story, one line at a time.
Amen.
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