Love Authentically This Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving. 

The food, the autumn vibes, the clatter of dishes in the kitchen… I love hearing the cheesy songs at the parade and fighting about whether to watch the dog show or football. 

Mostly, I love being with my family. Thanksgiving for me is a moment of warmth and pause to collect myself before Advent and Christmas, and I always make sure to soak up every moment. 

But for someone like me—whose experience of sexual addiction occurred mostly in my childhood home—it can also be very triggering. Especially returning to the place I remember being the most safe, it can be shocking and scary to experience temptation again after feeling mostly on top of things. But the evil one is tricky… he knows how to twist these holy moments. 

For many of us, whether it's temptation, a childhood trauma, or just the stress of navigating difficult conversations, the evil one tries to rob us of our holiday joy. But fear not; The Lord won't let you face it alone. 

Rather than isolating or numbing yourself when uncomfortable feelings of temptation, anger, or resentment resurface this Thanksgiving, run toward your Father.

I know when I feel tempted, I tend to shut myself in my room, feeling gross and grumpy. I give myself the illusion of power, when really I’m just ashamed. And to make matters worse, this only makes me feel more tempted.

I know the Lord loves every part of me, even when I don’t love those parts myself. He desires my authenticity. So this Thanksgiving, I’m challenging myself: instead of hiding my face whenever I feel uncomfortable and only being present when I feel like it, I will refuse to shut myself away. 

Satan wins in darkness; I refuse to leave the light.

Challenge yourself to remove your mask of “I’m fine!” this season. The people who authentically love you want to hold you in every part of your life, even the messy ones. 

“I’m actually feeling really stressed today… I’m sorry if I come across as prickly.” 

“As much as I love the holidays, sometimes they remind me of difficult memories.” 

“I’m fighting feelings of shame today… Can you remind me of my identity?” 

Challenge yourself to be authentic and to love authentically, as the Lord does.