Blog
This week is about re-seeing…noticing the good again where fatigue has blurred it.
I want to start here… because it matters:
You carry things that most people will never know about.
You carry the weight of other people’s crises while managing your own.
You carry the expectations, both spoken and unspoken, of what a “good leader” should be.
You carry conversations you can’t repeat.
You carry the spiritual atmosphere of a room even when your own heart feels tired.
So if staying thankful sometimes feels like work, it’s not because you don’t love God, your church, or your calling.
It’s because ministry requires emotional labor that doesn’t get talked about enough.
This week is not about “just be grateful” or “find the positive spin.”
You don’t need slogans.
This week is about
re-seeing…
noticing the good again
where fatigue has blurred it.
Let’s walk through some real places where gratitude gets complicated.
Not avoided.
Not suppressed.
Not shamed.
Just honestly named, so we can breathe again.
1. When Someone Leaves
I want to tell the truth gently here.
When someone leaves your church, your staff team, your leadership circle, your volunteer team, it hurts. Even when it’s polite. Even when it’s spiritual. Even when it's clearly God-led.
There’s a kind of loss in ministry that doesn’t get funerals, goodbyes, or casseroles.
It’s the loss of shared work.
You prayed with them.
You dreamed alongside them.
You planned ministry next steps with them.
You trusted them.
You counted on them.
And even if you understand they’re following God, or moving for family, or stepping into something new, some part of you still feels their absence like a seat in a room that doesn’t get filled the same way again.
You see them walk out that final Sunday.
You stand at the door, shaking hands, smiling kindly, wishing them well.
And then…
you lock up the building, turn off the lights, sit in your car, and feel the ache of it.
Not anger.
Just… the quiet grief of something ending.
Not many people talk about that.
But every leader knows it.
Where Gratitude Lives Here
Gratitude doesn’t mean pretending it didn’t hurt.
Gratitude just means remembering
the gift that the season was.
Reflection:
- What did you learn from them?
- What did they carry that strengthened the body while they were there?
- What part of your ministry is better because they were once part of it?
Thankfulness isn’t denial.
Thankfulness is remembering the good even when the season changes.
Both staying and going can be obedience.
Both can honor God.
Both matter.
2. When People Don’t Serve the Way You Hoped
This is where discouragement starts to whisper:
“Why don’t people care like I do?”
“Why is this so hard to keep moving?”
“Why am I always the one holding everything together?”
You wouldn’t say those thoughts aloud.
But they show up at night.
They show up after long Sundays.
They show up when one more ministry need lands on your desk.
It’s Saturday night.
You’re reviewing your list and realize you’re short a nursery volunteer.
The worship team isn’t fully confirmed.
Someone texted you earlier saying they needed to step out of a role “for a while.”
You just close your eyes and exhale because it’s a familiar sensation now.
The gap.
The ask.
The weight.
And it’s so easy in this moment to feel alone.
But here’s the quiet truth most leaders forget:
The people serving beside you are not paid staff.
They are not full-time ministry workers.
They are not free of personal responsibilities.
They are people with:
- Sick kids
- Strained marriages
- Work deadlines
- Chronic fatigue
- Parents in declining health
- Financial pressure
- Private battles you may never know about
They aren’t withholding effort.
They’re living full lives, too.
Where Gratitude Lives In This Place
Gratitude does not require lowering standards.
But it
does require seeing the person behind the role.
Not:
“What did they not show up for?”
But:
“What did it cost them to show up at all?”
That shift alone can restore tenderness in your heart.
Gratitude helps you love the people you lead before you lead the people you need.
3. Leaders Often Don’t Realize How Much They Ask
This is not a criticism, it’s compassion.
Because what you are carrying is so much, you don’t always see the invisible weight others are carrying.
You aren’t demanding.
You aren’t inconsiderate.
You are simply holding so much in your hands that the needs in front of you feel massive and urgent because often, they
are.
But the truth is:
Sometimes a volunteer says "yes" because they love you.
Not because they have time.
Not because they aren’t tired.
Not because they felt equipped.
They say "yes" because they believe in the mission, and they didn’t want to disappoint you.
They are sitting in their car after church, hands on the steering wheel.
They are thinking about the thing you asked them to do.
Their week is already full.
They’re tired.
They aren’t sure they have it in them.
But they answer your text anyway:
“Sure, I can help.”
Not out of guilt.
Not out of obligation.
But out of love.
Where Gratitude Lives Here
When someone serves, whether with energy or exhaustion, it is an offering.
We must learn to thank God for the offering, not the output.
Because offering is heart.
Offering is sacrifice.
Offering is worship.
And God honors the heart behind it.
4. How to Stay Thankful (Real Practices, Not More Tasks)
Let’s make this simple.
Not a workbook.
Not a new discipline to maintain.
Not a “be grateful” performance.
Just practices of attention that help your heart breathe again.
1. The 10-Second Pause
When disappointment rises, pause and ask:
“What good is here that I’m not seeing yet?”
Don’t force an answer.
Just make space for God to show you.
2. One Name a Week
Choose one person serving, in any capacity, and simply tell them:
- “I noticed.”
- “I’m glad you’re here.”
- “Thank you.”
Not a speech.
Just presence.
3. Remember What You Wanted
Think back to when you first started leading.
What did you pray for then?
It’s easy to forget how many of those prayers are already answered.
4. Rest Your Eyes
Sometimes the heart is tired because the eyes are tired.
Go outside.
Take 10 minutes alone.
Look at nothing you’re responsible for.
Let your mind unclench.
Thankfulness begins where pressure loosens.
Encouragement
I’m not inside your ministry.
I don’t see everything.
But I do see
you.
You are not ungrateful.
You are not unreachable.
You are not failing.
You are tired.
And tired hearts struggle to see the good.
But the good is still there.
God is still building.
Faithfulness is still happening.
People are still being shaped.
Seeds are still growing.
You do not lead alone.
This month, may God restore your ability to notice the good.
Not by forcing gratitude, but by opening your eyes to grace that is already present.
And we are grateful for you.
Truly.
