When Gratitude Feels Fragile: How to Give Thanks in a Season of Waiting

Thanksgiving had just ended.

The last piece of saran wrap was stretched across the sweet potato casserole, the dishes were washed, the leftovers tucked away, and the kitchen finally quiet. The day slowed, and for a moment, it felt possible to breathe and locate a little gratitude in the middle of it all.

But before the warmth of thankfulness could settle in, the questions from guests began.

“So… are you seeing anyone yet?”
“Any news on the job?”
“Have y’all thought more about a baby?”
“Still waiting on that house?”

And just like that, every tender thing God had stirred in your heart, every small flicker of gratitude you had managed to find, felt like it got tossed into the trash with the disposable cutlery.

Holidays can be strange like that. They are full of beauty and blessing and warmth, yet also full of reminders of what you do not have yet. Many of us feel the tension between gratitude and longing, between celebration and disappointment, between what we are thankful for and what our hearts still ache for.

Waiting can make gratitude feel fragile. In those moments, it is easy to believe that you cannot be both longing and grateful. That hope and heaviness cannot coexist in the same heart.

But Scripture shows us another way.

God’s Faithfulness in the Tension of Waiting

Lamentations 3:23 to 24 says, “They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

These verses are found in a book written during a time of deep national grief and loss. Jerusalem had fallen under Babylonian judgment, the temple was destroyed, and God’s people were experiencing despair and displacement. Yet right in the middle of this sorrow, Jeremiah speaks a word of hope rooted in the character of God.

My portion.
My enoughness.
My sustainer.

Not the thing I am praying for.
Not the timeline I am hoping for.
Not the outcome I am begging for.

The Lord Himself.

This truth reshapes everything about gratitude in seasons of waiting. Because if God is truly our portion, then gratitude is not tied to what we are receiving. It is tied to who we are trusting.

Gratitude as Dependence, Not Denial

Gratitude in Scripture is not a denial of desire. It is not pretending everything is fine or ignoring the ache that lingers in a waiting season.

Gratitude is a declaration of dependence.

It says, God, I trust You to be enough even here.
It says, My hope is anchored in who You are, not in what I have yet to receive.
It says, I can acknowledge my longing while still giving thanks for Your faithfulness.

This kind of gratitude grows in the soil of trust. It holds space for both waiting and worship. It welcomes both hope and heaviness. It recognizes that God meets us right at the intersection of what we desire and what we do not yet see.

When the Holiday Table Leaves You Feeling Behind

If the holiday table leaves you feeling behind, if the questions leave you weary, and if the waiting feels heavier than the celebration, take heart.

He is your portion. He is steady. He is enough.

And He is faithful to meet you right where the longing and the gratitude touch.

Even here. Especially here. There is room for thanksgiving.

Meet the Author
Reanna Hoffman

Reanna is a writer, speaker, coach, and host of the Not Just Waiting Podcast, where she equips women to wait well and actively pursue Jesus in every season. A former teacher who followed God’s call into new adventures, Reanna is passionate about reminding others they are seen, valued, and deeply loved by God. Whether she’s writing, coaching, or baking something sweet, she believes the Lord is the best adventure guide—and she’s just getting started.

Connect with her on Instagram here.