What If You're Grateful—and Still Disappointed?
Have you ever felt guilty for being disappointed because you know you have so much to be thankful for? Maybe you're grateful for your family but exhausted by everything you're carrying. You're thankful for progress, yet frustrated by how slowly things are changing. You believe God is working, but you still have questions.
Can I meet you there for a moment, friend? This is such a tender place for many women I've walked alongside, including me.
Over the last five years, I've celebrated some incredible milestones. I've also experienced setbacks that left me wondering how much longer this season would last.
Some days, I'm celebrating what my body can do. Other days, I'm grieving what I still cannot do. And sometimes, those feelings happen on the very same day!
A few weeks ago, I was soaking in the encouragement from my PTs. I was consistently walking for 30 minutes, tackling hills, and celebrating movement that once seemed impossible. After years of orthopedic injuries and MCAS complications, this was HUGE! But before I could fully enjoy that milestone, another setback left me unable to walk without crutches. Just like that, I was facing another unexpected detour.
Here's something I continue to come back to: Gratitude doesn't require me to deny my disappointment.
I can be thankful for the progress I've made while acknowledging that I'm tired of the struggle. I can celebrate what God is doing while continuing to pray for healing. Both can be true.
As we enter this season of Thanksgiving, I wonder how many women feel pressure to count their blessings while quietly carrying disappointment, grief, uncertainty, or exhaustion. I see you, friend, and I want to come alongside you.
What if we stopped treating gratitude as another thing we needed to get right? Instead, what if we allowed gratitude to become a gentle invitation to notice God's goodness right where we are? Not perfectly, but honestly.
That doesn't mean every circumstance is good. It means we can still find something good within our circumstances. A conversation with a friend. A moment of laughter. An unexpected kindness. The strength to take one more small step.
Sometimes, those little things become the very reminders we need that God hasn't forgotten us. So this Thanksgiving season, give yourself permission to be human. Keep praying. Keep hoping. Keep believing. And remember, you can be grateful for what you have while still longing for what hasn't happened yet.
There's room for both.
JOY-FUELED COACHING TIP
When disappointment shows up, try replacing the pressure to feel grateful with a simple question:
What's one thing I can genuinely appreciate today?
It doesn't need to be big. The goal isn't to dismiss your feelings. It's to intentionally notice something good alongside them.
SCRIPTURE TO HOLD FOR JOY
“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)
Notice that Scripture encourages thankfulness in our circumstances—not pretending every circumstance is wonderful.
JOY FOR THE JOURNEY
You can be grateful for today's blessings while still believing God for tomorrow's breakthroughs.
LET'S JOURNEY TOGETHER WITH JOY
If you're learning to hold gratitude and disappointment together, you don't have to navigate that journey alone. Join me for weekly Tip Tuesdays and visit my Joy-Fueled Lifestyle Hub for simple encouragement, practical tools, and joy-filled ideas to help you cultivate faith, wellness, purpose, and joy in the season you're actually living.
Let's keep choosing joy together—one meaningful small step at a time.
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