Thanksgiving used to be just another day on the calendar for me—a blur of food, football, and trying to numb whatever I didn’t want to feel. This year is different. This year, I’m actually present for it. I can feel it. I can name what I’m thankful for without slurring my words or forgetting the conversations I had the next day.
Today, I’m grateful—for God, for my family, for my friends, for my church, and for the gift of sobriety that makes all of those things clearer and more real.
Grateful for God’s Patience and Mercy
First and above everything else, I’m grateful for God. Not just for the blessings that look good on paper, but for His patience on the days when I was a total wreck.
There were seasons where I honestly didn’t care if I woke up the next morning. I made choices that hurt me and the people I loved. I pushed God away, then turned around and blamed Him for the mess I helped create. And still—He didn’t let go.
I see His fingerprints all over my story now:
- In the times I should have ended up dead or locked up, but didn’t.
- In the people He placed in my life at the exact right time.
- In the doors that closed that I was mad about, only to realize later they protected me.
This Thanksgiving, I’m not just thanking God for what I have—I’m thanking Him for what He brought me out of. I’m thanking Him for grace that showed up on my worst days, not just my best ones.
Grateful for Sobriety: One Day at a Time
Holidays can be brutal in recovery. There are memories, triggers, people, and places that used to be tied to drinking and using. It’s easy to slip back into that old mindset: Just one won’t hurt.
But I know better now.
I know what “just one” did to my life.
So this Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for:
- Waking up clear-headed.
- Not having to apologize for things I don’t remember.
- Actually tasting the food instead of just washing it down.
- Being able to show up as the real me, not the numb, checked-out version of me.
Sobriety doesn’t make life perfect. There’s still pain, there’s still stress, there’s still stuff I wish I could fix overnight. But sobriety gives me a chance to actually live it—one day, one step, one Thanksgiving at a time.
Grateful for Family: Imperfect but Precious
My family isn’t perfect and neither am I, but I’m grateful we still have each other. I’m thankful for a mom who didn’t give up praying for me. I’m thankful for a stepdad who’s been steady. I’m thankful for my kids, even when I don’t get to see them the way I want to.
I’m especially thankful for my sister Jessie, who’s always just a phone call away. Whether I need to vent, laugh, cry, or just hear someone remind me I’m not a lost cause, she picks up. Knowing I can dial her number and not have to explain my whole story from scratch means more than words can say.
Holidays can make those gaps feel bigger—the empty chairs, the distance, the things you wish were different. But even in that ache, there’s gratitude:
- For the memories we do have.
- For the chance to keep working on myself so I can be a better father, son, brother, and friend.
- For the hope that God’s not done writing our story.
I’m thankful that I’m still here to pick up the phone, send a text, say “I love you,” and maybe slowly rebuild what was broken. That’s a gift.
Grateful for Friends Who Don’t Walk Away
I’m also grateful for the friends who stayed when it would have been easier to walk. The ones who answered the late-night calls, sat with me when my mind wasn’t right, or just checked in with a simple, “You good?”
Real friends don’t need a perfect version of you. They just need an honest one.
In recovery, in mental health struggles, in faith—having people who see your mess and don’t flinch is powerful. This Thanksgiving, I thank God for:
- The friends who call me out with love.
- The ones who make me laugh when I’m taking everything too seriously.
- The ones who remind me I’m not alone, even when my brain tries to convince me I am.
Grateful for Church and a Spiritual Home
Church hits different when you’ve been through some stuff. I’m grateful for a church that feels like family, for a place where I can sit beside my mom, listen to the Word, and feel like God is speaking directly to the cracks in my heart.
I’m thankful for:
- The sermons that cut deep in a good way.
- The worship that reminds me I’m loved, not just tolerated.
- The Bible studies that help me renew my mind and not just survive the week.
Church isn’t a museum for perfect people—it’s a hospital for the broken. And I’m grateful I have a place to go where I can bring my pain, my questions, my past, and still hear: You’re welcome here.
This Thanksgiving: Choosing Gratitude on Purpose
Gratitude doesn’t mean everything is easy. It doesn’t erase the losses, the regrets, or the struggles. But it does change how I see them.
Today, I choose to be grateful for:
- God’s mercy that met me at rock bottom.
- Sobriety that lets me be present.
- Family that I love and want to keep growing with.
- Friends who remind me I’m worth fighting for.
- A church that points me back to Jesus when my mind wants to drift.
If you’re reading this and you’re struggling this Thanksgiving—mentally, emotionally, spiritually, or in recovery—you’re not alone. Even if your table doesn’t look like you imagined, even if your heart feels heavy, there is still something in you worth thanking God for. There is still hope. There is still time. There is still grace.
Happy Thanksgiving. One day at a time, we keep going.
— Josh Bridges
YOU {R} NOT ALONE YOU HAVE A VOICE! 