There have been seasons in my life, long ones, where I felt like God was silent, distant, or even disinterested. Moments where everyone else seemed to be a few steps ahead…while I felt two or three steps behind. I couldn’t see progress.
I couldn’t see fruit.
Honestly, I couldn’t see God. And yet, all along, He was there — not behind me, not beside me…
but ahead of me, preparing the next step before I ever reached it. Well, I declare!
It’s only now, looking back, that I can see what I couldn’t see then.
And that’s where this line came from:
“Gratitude is not denial. It’s declaration — that God is still working, even when the season feels bare.”
It Is Not Just About What You Can See
Thanksgiving isn’t just about gratitude for the goodness of God that we see.
It’s also about gratitude for all the things God is doing that we don’t see.
Because some seasons feel like winter:
- the trees look empty
- the ground looks cold
- nothing appears to be growing
But beneath the surface, God is preparing the soil for spring.
Bare doesn’t mean barren.
Silent doesn’t mean absent.
Waiting doesn’t mean wasting.
And gratitude in those seasons isn’t pretending everything is great.
It’s not denial of the pain.
And it’s not fake optimism.
It’s Declaration
Declaration that God is still faithful.
Declaration that He is still moving.
And, declaration that the roots are growing deeper—even when the branches look bare.
Gratitude in a bare season says, “God, I trust You in what I can’t yet see.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in all circumstances…
The Real Struggle
The hardest time to practice gratitude is when life doesn’t look like we hoped.
- When the prayers feel unanswered, ignored.
- When the job feels uncertain or maybe even lost.
- When relationships seem stuck and broken.
- When we wonder if we missed God’s voice… or if He missed us.
And yet, this is where gratitude becomes transformational – see my blog post on Sparked By Thanksgiving.
Because gratitude anchors you to God’s character, not your current circumstances. It shifts your focus:
- from what’s missing → to what God is doing
- from what hurts → to what God is healing
- from what’s delayed → to what God is preparing
- from what hasn’t grown → to the roots He is strengthening
Seasons Change
Gratitude doesn’t change your season.
It changes you in the season.
A Thought
You may not feel it now.
You may not see it yet.
But God is working in the dark, quiet places of your life.
And your gratitude — even when things feel bare — is not denial.
It’s faith.
It’s trust.
And it’s declaration.
Colossians 2:6–7
“…continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him…
overflowing with thankfulness.”
“God, even here, even now… I believe You’re not done.”
Challenge of the Week (Thanksgiving Edition)
Each day this week, write down one thing you’re thankful for that you cannot yet see. Then, take the one that really sticks out to you and share it with loved ones at the table on Thanksgiving Day. “I am thankful…so be it!”
Examples to declare your thankfulness for…
- “God is preparing a path I can’t see yet.”
- “God is working in my marriage even when it feels slow.”
- “God is shaping a season I haven’t stepped into yet.”
- “God is strengthening roots below the surface.”
Speak these declarations out loud:
“God, thank You for working in the unseen.”
Let gratitude be your declaration of faith — not because the season is full, but because God is faithful in the seasons that feel bare.
Deuteronomy 31:8
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you…
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