Thanksgiving may not be a religious holiday on the calendar, but for believers it is inseparable from the life of faith. Gratitude is the language of those who know we live, breathe, move, and find our very existence in God. It is the quiet recognition that grace sustains us, mercy carries us, and the love of God the Father surrounds us in ways far more profound than the human mind can comprehend.
Truthfully, we are blessed in ways we rarely pause long enough to see. We take for granted the simple gifts that are, in reality, miracles of mercy: going to sleep in our own bed, waking up with breath in our lungs, standing on our own feet, seeing with our own eyes, tasting food, walking across a room. These “ordinary” things are anything but ordinary. There are millions of men, women, and children in hospitals right now who would give anything to trade places with us—to sit around a table, to enjoy a meal, to hear the laughter of family in the next room.
Sometimes I believe we have forgotten this. We allow the most trivial things to disturb our peace, to provoke us into anger, impatience, or a version of ourselves that bears no resemblance to who God created us to be. We lose sight of others’ humanity. We turn people into obstacles, inconveniences, or opponents instead of seeing them as souls created by the same God who fashioned us.
So perhaps this Thanksgiving calls for more than just a meal and a moment. Maybe it calls for reflection.
Who are we choosing to be in the environments we enter? Are we bringing peace, joy, patience, and presence? Or are we carrying a storm with us everywhere we go?
There is a great blessing in the people who walk into a room and immediately lighten the atmosphere—whose presence brings calm, encouragement, and steadiness. And others carry a different energy entirely, who seem to thrive on drama, tension, or chaos. This Thanksgiving, may we pray for both: gratitude for those who bring peace, and grace for those who do not yet know it.
And for all of us who have experienced loss—whether recent or long ago—this day can feel tender. Grief has a way of showing up at the table even when no seat has been saved for it. Empty chairs can speak loudly. Memories can rise uninvited. But even in that space, gratitude still has something to teach us. Gratitude doesn’t deny pain—it steadies us inside it. Gratitude doesn’t erase grief—it gives grief a place to rest.
Every blessing we enjoy—every talent, every opportunity, every dollar earned, every door opened—comes from God. We didn’t engineer our lives from the ground up. We didn’t program our hearts to beat or our lungs to breathe. We didn’t give ourselves intelligence, creativity, or resilience. Every good thing is on loan from the One who crafted us.
And every day is fragile.
I often think of the tragedies that fill our newsfeeds—fatal accidents on the freeway involving people who woke up that morning expecting to return home. A husband headed home from work. A family on the way to dinner. A child in the back seat is singing to the radio. Lives altered in a moment. Futures interrupted. Conversations unfinished. Love unspoken. Those moments remind me that every breath is a gift, not a guarantee.
So on this Thanksgiving, I offer this prayer for you:
May you slow down long enough to notice the grace that surrounds you.
May you give thanks for the loved ones still present, and hold tender space for those who are not.
May you find peace in the small things—the warmth of a home, the sound of laughter, the taste of food, the gift of breath.
And may a mindset of thanksgiving guide you beyond this day, shaping how you show up in the world and the environment you create around you.
May you give thanks for the loved ones still present, and hold tender space for those who are not.
May you find peace in the small things—the warmth of a home, the sound of laughter, the taste of food, the gift of breath.
And may a mindset of thanksgiving guide you beyond this day, shaping how you show up in the world and the environment you create around you.
Gratitude is not just a holiday.
It is a posture.
It is a way of seeing.
It is a way of living in the presence of God.
It is a posture.
It is a way of seeing.
It is a way of living in the presence of God.
Thank you for reading this blog. I appreciate your continued support in raising awareness about the issues that impact our relationships, families, friendships, and the institutions and environments—political, social, and economic—in which we live and work. Please share this blog—and explore my other articles and videos—each one created to educate, empower, and uplift. Together, we can challenge the belief systems that hold us back and press forward into openness, love, consideration, and peace—opening doors of opportunity for all.
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Eric Lawrence Frazier, MBA
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Your trusted advisor in business and wealth
www.ericfrazier-com-869976.hostingersite.com | www.thepowerisnow.com
NMLS #451807 | CA DRE #01143484
Schedule a consultation: https://calendly.com/ericfrazier/real-estate-mortgage-consultation-clients