Family Thanksgiving Encouragement Speech

First giving all praises to God and to the risen King! It is a blessing to before you today. It is an extra blessing to see so much family in open place! I have been tasked to uplift and encourage you all today and dont worry I dont consider myself to be long winded. This wont be a 30 minute speech!

I just wanted to share these words with you:

As we gather today, let us take a moment to reflect on the incredible call we have been given… “ to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Often time when we hear this we think of a walking into a physical church but this is far from the true mean of this scripture. This isn’t just a command for the good times. when blessings are overflowing and our hearts are light. It is an invitation for every season of our life, even the ones marked by grief, uncertainty or struggle. And I want to acknowledge that today- because for some of us, this moment isn’t easy. Some of us are carrying deep wounds, unanswered prayer, or heavy burdens that make the idea of THANKSGIVING feel far from our reach.

But family, I want to remind you of this truth: God doesnt ask us to deny our pain when we come before Him. He does not expect us to pretend that everything is fine. In fact, He invites us to bring our broken hearts, our questions, and even our tears in His presence. No one may truly know what your are feeling and what you are going through but trust and believe God does. He sees it all, and HE LOVES US right where we are. Yet, in the midst of it, He challenges us to trust HIM- to trust that his love is still GOOD- that HIS PURPOSES are still unfolding, and that even in the darkest of valleys… He is walking beside us.

Thanks giving in these moments isnt about ignoring the hard things. It’s about lifting our eyes above them. It is choosing to believe that God is at work, even when we cant see it. Its saying “ Lord, I dont understand, I cant see past my situation, but I trust YOU! Romans 8:28 reminds us that IN ALL THINGS, GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO LOVE HIM and if you LOVE GOD THEN HE IS WORKING FOR YOU! SEEN AND UNSEEN. Not just the good thing but ALL THINGS! This is foundation of our faith and it is what makes praise in the hard times not only possible but powerful.

So as we sit and fellowship together today, I challenge each of us to check the posture of our hearts.

Are we entering His presence with faith that He is who He says HE IS - faithful, loving, sovereign, a way maker, a promise keeper, our light in the darkness…

Are we surroundings our fears and doubts to the ONE who holds all things in his hands?

And most importantly, are we choosing to give thanks, not because our lives are perfect BUT BECAUSE OUR GOD IS??

Let us make room for both GRATITUDE AND GRIEF TODAY- for both are holy before the Lord. Let us encourage one another to be honest about where we are and to trust God with where we are going.

He is weaving something beautiful, even in the places that feel broken, and HIS LOVE NEVER ( EVER, EVER ,EVER) fails.

So let us give thanks- not because we’ve figured it all out, BUT BECAUSE WE CAN REST IN THE HANDS OF ONE WHO HAS!

AMEN

May God continue to shine His face upon you and be encourage.