A peek inside this post: Fill your heart with gratitude with the help of our Thanksgiving devotion for women! This 5 day series comes in a convenient PDF of printable Thanksgiving devotions. Each day has an honest, real-life story (which makes it the perfect Thanksgiving devotion for moms), scripture for biblical truth, and space to write and reflect. Come on, Mama, let’s grow an attitude of gratitude together!
As Diane Von Furstenberg said, “Attitude is everything”.
It really is.
I’m sure you have heard the saying that life is about 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. There couldn’t be many truer words said. Please don’t misunderstand me.
There are some tragic, difficult things that come about in our lives that deeply impact us from the inside out. I’m not talking about those things. I’m talking about the little things that grab our attention and get us to lose focus on what really matters.
It feels so good to magnify those things in the moment. It’s almost like if you get a friend to jump in and see how frustrating a situation is, that the situation will somehow magically change.
It’s hard to maintain a positive attitude. An attitude of gratitude. It’s a struggle for me.
It’s a daily choice to remind myself that I can only control my thoughts and actions. I can’t control my kids, Amazon Prime, my broken dryer, rules put in place by a higher authority that I don’t have a say in.
I can’t control those things. I have the choice to let them grow and fester or acknowledge them and set them aside. I have the choice to look at what’s good. It makes such a difference in my life when I have a heart of thankfulness.
That challenge for myself is what inspired me to write this 5 day Thanksgiving Devotional for women.
Sharing real parts of our lives and how God has reminded me over and over the importance of looking up to him with a heart of thankfulness.
I will touch on the power of community, how we sometimes find ourselves down in a ditch we dug ourselves, the reminder of God answering our prayers even if they aren’t answered the way we hoped they would be, God’s endless love that we just don’t deserve, and lastly, how God uses our junk to make something great. For his glory.
My hope is that this devotional reminds you of the power you have when armed with an attitude of gratitude.
Please feel free to use this Thanksgiving devotional for women’s group.
How to Use This Thanksgiving Devotion for Moms
This devo has 5 daily devotions to help you grow an attitude of gratitude. Each day consists of an every-day, real-life story that moms will relate to, as well as scripture that will hit you with biblical truth to ponder.
Consider completing this short study alone, or maybe with a couple of friends or women’s group!
You can come back to this post each day and pick up right where you left off by clicking which day to read:
If you prefer a Printable version of our Thanksgiving devotional, you can jump down to the end to print it here. This printable includes 19 beautiful pages with the complete devotional, and a spot for you to take notes as you reflect on thankfulness.
Ok, let’s get to it!
Thanksgiving Devotion for Women
Day 1
On a Monday morning last spring, my husband and I were inside Big R, unable to focus on the garden trowel we went in to purchase because we had spotted some baby chicks.
We had talked about getting chickens for awhile. That day, we ended up calling my dad and asking him what kind of fencing he might have that we could use to house some feathered friends.
Before we knew it, we were on our way to pick up his large dog crate, some chicken fencing, and six baby chicks! The boys were all in school and had no idea what would be waiting for them when they got home. They were excited and shocked to come home and find the chickens.
After hearing our exciting news, a great friend built us an amazing coop. Yes, he built one and delivered it to us one night during small group at our house. It took six guys to get that coop off the flatbed. God worked through him and our family is forever thankful.
Why Did the Chicken Hop the Fence?
The chickens are about 5.5 months old now and they are hilarious. They make us laugh every single day.
We have a mother hen and she takes her job very seriously. She “calls” them to bed at night and if one or two of them take too long to make their way into the coop, she comes back out to get them. If she lays down to sunbathe, several of the others lay down to sunbathe, too.
When we are home during the day “the girls” get to free range in our yard surrounded by a chain link fence.
At one point, a few of them had gotten curious and jumped on the fence, and then went out of our yard. Thankfully none of them have gotten hurt but we did have to clip their flying wings. Nobody has gotten out since we clipped them.
Tonight, after supper, my husband and I heard a noise on our fence. We thought one of the girls had gone over. All were safe when we checked. We think one of them tried to go over but didn’t make it to the top. We stood there watching them for a few minutes to see if another chicken made an attempt.
Sure enough, one of our Buff Orphingtons looked up at that fence and prepared herself for an attempt. Before she got a chance, our mother hen ran over to her at full speed and pecked her, then leaped into the air and jumpkicked her with both feet!
My husband and I lost it. We stared at each other making sure we both saw the same thing. We sure did and we had so much fun recreating it for our kids who didn’t get to see it.
Who Jumpkicks You When You Need It?
After the excitement wore off, it got me thinking about our mother hen. She knew trouble was coming and she put herself right in its path to keep our other chicken from getting out of the yard.
It made me think of community. The importance of doing life together.
Who in your life guides you? Not necessarily your “mother hen” but somebody you know you can go to no matter what? That person who is kind and listens with an abundance of grace?
Growing an Attitude of Gratitude
Read Philippians 1:3-11 and spend some time appreciating the people in your life who love you well.
Day 2
A few years ago we wanted to get a pool for our boys. We’d had kiddie pools before. One was pretty awesome as far as plastic pools went. It even had a small slide.
Before we knew it, our three boys were way too big for the kiddie pools and our yard wasn’t big enough to even fit a 10-foot pool.
It worked for a few years but when the time came for us to move, one of the first things we wanted to set up for the boys was a pool. We wanted them to get outside, to learn some basic swimming skills, and to get them off their screens.
Once we got settled in our new house and spent months looking up pools. Different sizes, the best location, cost. We like to look at all the options.
We decided we could get a 21-foot pool and started shopping around. Then, we called the gas and electric company and made sure we didn’t have any power lines, gas lines, or cable lines under that location.
Pools are expensive. So, being thrifty, we bought one off Craigslist. My husband loaded that pool, piece by piece, into our minivan, brought it home, and we unpacked that baby in the garage.
We washed each piece and started to dig a very big hole. By hand. We measured and dug and measured and dug.
Our neighbor came over one night and helped clear quite a bit of dirt with his lawn tractor. Still, we weren’t level and we continued to get up early before the heat of the day and dig before my husband went to work.
We Dug Ourselves a Hole, Alright
One morning, my husband got up to dig at 5 am. I woke up shortly after to the words “septic tank” screaming in my mind.
I groggily walked outside to my sweat-covered, dirt-laden husband and asked him where the septic tank was. He said, “I bet it’s right where we are digging.”
Sure enough, we had the septic company come out, and there in our big Dirt Circle sat our septic tank. We had a huge circle dug out of our backyard and a pool we couldn’t use sitting in our garage.
We were frustrated, tired and we couldn’t do a single thing to change that situation.
In the end, we bought a smaller pool. We sold what we could from the Craigslist pool, used what we could on the new, and scrapped the unusable stuff and called it a loss. But was it really?
Swimming in the Grateful End of the Pool
Our new pool has been great. Sure, we set it up and take it down each year. It’s not as big. But it’s still a great way to cool down on a summer day. It’s more cost-efficient and we have more yard space.
There were a lot of lessons to learn that summer and I think we went ahead and learned them all. We were still learning them the day I replanted the grass with our two older kids.
Sometimes life doesn’t go as we had planned and we find ourselves covered in dirt and sweat with a 21-foot pool we can’t use sitting in our garage. Sometimes it takes moments like this to help us see the blessings we have in our life.
Growing an Attitude of Gratitude
When Paul was writing to the church in Thessalonica, he knew the power of gratitude. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:18 and write down what you are thankful for today.
Day 3
“Mom, guess how many rounds I won on MarioKart!”
“Guess how many shots I just made in a row!”
“Guess how many times the cats tried to get me to feed them today!”
I have to be honest, I feel my heart skip a beat every time a sentence starts with, “Mom, guess…” I don’t mind guessing once or twice, but it never stops there. The kids get more excited every time I get it wrong.
“Try again.”
“Not right.”
“Try again.”
“More.”
“No.”
“Less.”
“Just guess.”
It inevitably ends in me saying, “Please, just tell me. I just don’t know these things.” They then proceed to tell me and look at me wide-eyed and say, “Did you really not know that?”
Nope. I did not know that.
You might think they would quit asking me at some point. That they would figure out that Mom never gets it right. They don’t. They continue to come to me with questions burning in their eyes.
Questioning The Master
Sometimes I see myself in their eyes. I see myself asking God questions. Tough questions. Over and over again. Wide-eyed, anticipating the answer.
I have seen myself asking Him over and over again why He answers some requests and not others. You see, when you are on the asking side of the question-process, you can easily get caught up in getting to the answer. And quickly.
God’s plans don’t often work like that. Honestly, it seems they rarely do.
During those days of asking the same questions over and over, God is working. He is working for the good. Our good. He delights in us. He takes great joy in us.
I don’t know about you but I love to claim that promise. Especially in the broken world we live in. He rejoices over us in singing.
It may not be the same day, week, month, or even year but you will see His work. Maybe His work won’t be the answered question, but rather a transformed heart or a different opportunity.
His glory will be evident and He will say, “This is the answer to your question. See how I have worked. For your good.”
Growing an Attitude of Gratitude
Read Zephaniah 3:17 and thank God today for the ways He has worked in your life. How He is always there listening to our questions and requests, and how He always, always, gets the answer right.
Day 4
We have two cats, Daisy and Ozzy. They are 5 ½ and soon to be 6 years old, respectively.
I’m not sure, but I think a lot of cats are similar in nature in that they always think they are starving. They are hungry for more even as they begin to eat their full dish.
Our cat, Ozzy, takes his food pretty seriously. He was a bit overweight and also had some health issues so we changed what and how much he was eating.
He handled the change in food very well. So well that he just can’t get enough. If he were born in the 80’s I’m sure he would spend his time singing the song “Just Can’t Get Enough” by Depeche Mode ALL DAY LONG.
We used to give him his favorite food first thing in the morning. After a couple years of this routine, we learned that Ozzy is very manipulative.
If he wanted his breakfast before we were up, he used to purposely rub his paw pads on the kids’ bedroom doors to wake them up. He knew that when the kids got up, my husband or I had to get up, and ultimately, he would get his precious breakfast. That’s not all.
Serious Pursuit
Some mornings he would play a game I like to call “lamp.” He would get on the bed and proceed to get on my nightstand and knock my lamp over. On purpose!
Sometimes it would fall on the floor. “OZZY! No Lamp!” Or “He is doing lamp again…” We would get up, frustrated, and Ozzy would get his breakfast.
He used to follow the kids around and try and nip their legs. They would go and give him food and he would be happy.
Now, our boys take turns feeding our cats. That has been helpful because Ozzy has learned more patience. He knows one of them is going to feed him but he just doesn’t know his days of the week. “Ozzy, it’s Sunday. It’s not his turn to feed you anymore.”
Some mornings, if his caretaker is not awake yet, he walks over to our indoor plants and starts to eat them. The second he is given his food he stops eating the plants, pawing at doors, trying to bite kids, and knocking over lamps.
Ozzy is relentless.
We have made some changes and he doesn’t get his favorite food first thing in the morning. He gets it at night now so many of his shenanigans have let up in the morning. Thank goodness.
We Serve a Relentless God
As much as our cat pursues his food each day, it’s nothing compared to how much God pursues you.
He is head over heels for you.
David says in Psalm 139 that God pays such close attention to us that He knows when we sit and when we rise.
He knows the words we are going to say tomorrow. God closes us tight behind and before, just like the hem on the bottom of your shirt. He made you and He is relentlessly seeking your attention.
Not because He needs it, but because He knows that time with Him will renew you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made and your Creator’s love for you is tireless and unbroken.
Growing an Attitude of Gratitude
Read Psalm 139 today and praise God for his relentless love for you. Also, praise God that you can talk to Him and he will hear you and understand you…talking to your cat is futile.
Day 5
One way we help our budget is by shopping at thrift stores, garage sales, Facebook Marketplace, etc. for birthday or Christmas gifts for our kids.
We have gotten some great deals on some super fun items. The boys usually get a few gifts and an Amazon gift card to use towards something they are saving up for.
We were shopping around for one of our sons and found a really neat 3-D puzzle at a thrift store. He loves those! It was $1 and taped up like items usually are so they don’t lose all the pieces.
After getting home, I undid the tape and opened the 3-D puzzle box and couldn’t believe what I saw. It did not contain the puzzle that was portrayed on the outside of the box.
On the inside was pretty much a bunch of junk. There were random legos, an empty lego watch box with one piece, an old Krusty The Clown Watch from Burger King, and a few other items I couldn’t even place.
I just stared at the box. This had never happened before in all the years we have been thrift shopping.
I laughed to myself, then carried the box out to my husband, who was mowing the yard. I said, “Look what was in the puzzle box.” We looked at each other and laughed because this had never happened before.
What’s on the Inside
I ended up keeping the few legos and tossing the rest of the contents away. It brought me to the verse, 1 Samuel 16:7. “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Seemingly, we were getting a great puzzle for our son. Inside, we found piece after piece of unusable stuff.
God takes a look at our heart, inside our box, and sees all those pieces. Pieces that seem useless to us. Pieces we don’t want in our box.
God takes those pieces and makes them into something great. He takes our weaknesses and gives us strength. He takes our selfish hearts and shows us how to love like He does.
It is then that the inside of our box matches the picture on the lid. Thank God for His Grace. It doesn’t make sense. We can’t comprehend it. We don’t deserve it.
He sees what’s inside our hearts, even when it doesn’t match up with the outside of our box and he loves us anyway.
That’s WHY he sent Jesus.
Growing an Attitude of Gratitude
Read John 3:16 and 1 Samuel 16:7 and thank God today for his grace.
Your Printable Thanksgiving Devotions
For your convenience, we have turned this heartfelt devotion into a printable (ad-free) PDF. You can get your copy here.
We Hope You Love This Thanksgiving Devotion for Women!
Our hope is that you will use this quick study to help grow an attitude of gratitude in your heart this Thanksgiving. It’s great for quiet reflection alone, or you could also gather a couple of girlfriends and complete it together over coffee!
We are so glad you stopped by and pray that you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Don’t Miss Some of Our Other Printable Devotions:
Thanksgiving Devotion for Kids – This Thankful Turkeys devotion covers the First Thanksgiving and has some great ideas to help the whole family prepare their hearts for the holiday. Do it together in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, or squeeze it in between dinner and pie!
Christmas Devotion for Moms – Ponder and Treasure like Jesus’ mother, Mary, did! 25 days of thoughtful reflection and journal prompts in one beautiful printable!
Also Read:
Family Games at Thanksgiving – Enjoy these fun activities after the leftovers are put away!
How to Teach your Child Gratitude – See how a simple dinner of rice and beans can remind kids just how good they have it!
Simple Fall Printables: Home Decor for Practically Nothing – Bring some fall vibes into your home with these pretty printable decorations. (There’s a freebie in here!)
21 Meaningful Fall Bucket List Ideas for the Christian Mom – Check out these fun, fall-inspired self care tips!
10 Fun & Simple Fall Recipes for Kids – Kids will love making– or just enjoying– these yummy fall foods!
7 Christmas Wall Decor Printables to Bring the Holly and Jolly into Your Home – Christmas is right around the corner! Deck your halls the easy way with these beautiful printables (there’s even a freebie waiting for you).
Christian Homemaking – What does Christian Homemaking even look like in this day and age? Let’s chat about what it means to be a Christian Homemaker and why it’s so important.
Soul Care for Women: The Recharge You Need – This post moves beyond superficial self care and digs deeper to refresh the soul!
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Book Review from a Christian Mom – Need a swift kick in the booty? This book is great for that. Read our review!