Gratitude in the Waiting
- Catherine Rackley
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
I’ve been trying to adopt our second child for six and a half years. Our daughter, who’s now eight, came home to us from Ethiopia when she was just 18 months old. Being her mama has been one of my life’s greatest joys — equal parts laughter, lessons, and Legos.
In May 2019, exactly 1-year from getting home from Ethiopia, my husband and I filled out an application with an adoption agency to begin the process again—this time from South Africa. We were ready and hopeful! But then COVID hit, and we were advised to switch to Colombia. We prayed and followed that leading, trusting that God knew what He was doing. Three and a half years later, we felt the Lord stirring our hearts in a completely different direction — to move to the bush of Zambia to serve at an orphanage we had connections to.
We packed, planned, and prayed some more. But at the very last minute, the Lord closed that door. Just like that. And because we thought we’d be moving to Zambia, we’d decided (through many tears and anguished prayers) to let our adoption paperwork expire. We couldn’t bring a child from Colombia to Zambia — it wasn’t even legally allowed.
So, come January 2024, there we sat. No plane tickets. No Zambia move. No adoption in process. Our hearts had been longing to love another little one, yet we sat there with love to give — but no second child to give it to.
And then, I read it again — “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances.”
Let’s just say… those weren’t exactly high on my emotional menu in 2024.
But God’s Word doesn’t say “give thanks when things make sense.” It says, “give thanks in all circumstances.” And that’s hard. Sometimes, gratitude feels less like a warm fuzzy feeling and more like an act of obedience. Hebrews 13:15 calls it a sacrifice of praise.
A sacrifice. Something that costs us something.
But even in the hard, there’s a steady, unbreakable anchor beneath the waves of our confusion — who God is.
Who God is, is why I can rejoice. Who God is, is how I can keep praying. Who God is, is how I can give thanks — even when my hands are empty and my heart feels heavy.
Because gratitude isn’t rooted in what’s happening to us — it’s rooted in who God is.
And if all the blessings in our lives were stripped away — the answered prayers, the comforts, the people we love—He would still be worthy of our thanks.
So maybe the better question isn’t “How can we rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances?” Maybe, it’s — “How can we not?”
How can we not rejoice — Jesus came for us! How can we not pray — God is our only certainty in this world! How can we not give thanks—He is the author of our stories, and He loves us enough to have written Himself into them.
So this Thanksgiving, friend — If you’re waiting, like me…If you’re weary, anxious, or heartbroken…If the story you thought you’d be living looks nothing like the one you’re in—
You can still look up and whisper, “Lord, I choose to rejoice. I choose to pray. I choose to give thanks… because of who You are.”
And that choice — right there — is sacred.
May the peace of Christ settle deep into your soul this season. May His presence fill your home with warmth and lighthearted joy. And may gratitude — real, honest, hard-won gratitude — root you again in His unchanging goodness.
Happy Thanksgiving season, sister. Let’s feast together — on grace, on faith, and on the goodness of our God.
Thank You, Jesus.
Author, Encourager, and Seeker of Holy Joy