Every year, Thanksgiving sneaks up on me—not because I’m unprepared for the meal or the schedule, but because my heart sometimes takes a little longer to settle into gratitude.

Motherhood is full.

Life is loud.

And the past year?

It stretched me in ways I couldn’t have predicted.

But when I slow down long enough to look back, I can see it clearly:

God has been teaching me, shaping me, and sustaining me through every season.

So today, instead of writing a list of things I’m thankful for,

I’m sharing 10 things I’m thankful God taught me—because those lessons are the real harvest.

1️⃣ Gratitude Grows in the Gaps

This year reminded me that God meets me in the places I feel behind, weak, or overwhelmed.

The gaps aren’t failure—they’re where grace gets in.

2️⃣ Small Obedience Matters More Than Big Moments

The quiet yes.

The five-minute prayer.

The simple meal made in love.

The choosing-not-to-spiral moment.

Those things shaped me more than any big breakthrough.

3️⃣ Rest Isn’t a Reward — It’s Worship

I’ve spent years believing I had to earn rest.

God gently showed me rest isn’t a prize for productivity; it’s an act of trust.

4️⃣ My Body Is Not a Project — It’s a Place God Dwells

Not something to fix.

Not something to criticize.

Not something to chase perfection with.

But a temple.

A vessel.

A gift.

5️⃣ God Uses the Ordinary More Than the Impressive

The meals.

The laundry.

The car rides.

The bedtime prayers.

This year, He reminded me that faithfulness in the ordinary is often where the Kingdom grows.

6️⃣ Community Doesn’t Have to Be Big to Be Holy

It’s not about numbers.

It’s about depth.

I’m thankful for the small, faithful circle God has anchored around me this year—women who speak truth, pray boldly, and love well.

7️⃣ Surrender Brings Peace Faster Than Control Ever Will

Every time I loosen my grip, I breathe better.

Every time I stop trying to micromanage outcomes, God moves in ways I could never orchestrate.

8️⃣ God Doesn’t Waste Seasons of Waiting

Whether it’s waiting for clarity, breakthrough, energy, or healing—He’s always working in the unseen places.

My waiting never went unused.

9️⃣ Joy Is Something You Choose, Not Something You Find

I stopped waiting for joy to appear.

I started choosing it in the little things…

sunrises, kid snuggles, quiet moments, simple meals, and answered prayers in disguise.

🔟 God Is Faithful — Even When Life Looks Nothing Like You Planned

This one gets me every year.

I’m thankful for His steadiness when my life feels anything but steady.

For His goodness when my circumstances feel messy.

For His presence in every high and low.

He’s been faithful.

He is faithful.

And He’ll keep being faithful.

🍂 A Thanksgiving Invitation

If this year has been heavy, beautiful, chaotic, stretching, or all of the above—I hope this list encourages you to pause and look back through the lens of grace.

And if you want something warm, grounding, and Scripture-soaked to accompany your Thanksgiving week, tomorrow’s podcast episode goes deeper into gratitude, peace, and God’s faithfulness in the in-between places.

👉 Listen to the Thanksgiving episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/healthy-holy-momlife/id1774374017?i=1000737324634