📖 Daily Devotional — “Thankful on Purpose”

Thanksgiving is almost here.
Family and friends will be gathering this week, traveling from far and wide just to be together.
And yet… many people don’t see the blessing in this anymore.

Instead of gratitude, they feel:

• “Ugh, I have to deal with them again…”
• “Why do we do this every year?”
• “I don’t want to see that cousin…”
• “My dad always says something stupid…”

But stop for a second and look deeper.

Grandma is getting older. Every Thanksgiving is a gift.
That cousin you haven’t seen since last year? What if they need you now?
That sibling who annoys you—maybe they’re going through something you don’t see.

We let the world influence us way too much.

Yes, cousin Jimmy might actually be a jerk.
Dad may have said hurtful things in the past.
People are flawed. People mess up. People wound us.

But as a Christian, how should we respond?

Forgive them.

Not because they deserve it—
but because God asks us to release what we’ve been carrying.

Forgiveness doesn’t mean you want them in your daily life.
It doesn’t mean you pretend nothing happened.
It doesn’t mean you trust them again overnight.
It simply means:

“I will not let past hurt ruin the present God is giving me.”

You can be civil.
You can be kind.
You can honor God with your attitude—even if the other person doesn’t.

And if they’re not civil?

You take the higher road.

WWJD — What Would Jesus Do?

I want to bring that phrase back so badly.
We should all be living by it.

Two more days until Thanksgiving.
Ask God to prepare your heart, soften your spirit, and help you walk in grace—not bitterness.

You’ve got this… because God’s got this.

Love y’all.

🙏 Prayer

Father, as Thanksgiving approaches, prepare my heart.
Help me release any bitterness, frustration, or old wounds.
Give me the strength to forgive, the wisdom to stay peaceful, and the grace to love even when it’s hard.
Let me be a light in my family this week.
In Jesus’ name, amen.