I love (almost) everything about Thanksgiving. I love turkey, stuffing, gravy, even marshmallows on top of sweet potatoes. I love loud kitchens full of chaos and mess. I love being so full I have to loosen my waistband and lay down for a carb-induced nap. I love leftover turkey sandwiches on white bread with real mayonnaise. But loving it all is not the same as being grateful for it all.

In fact, I can love all the trimmings and still be full of resentment. As Melissa Kruger reminds us, it’s far too easy to fall into the rut of “counting our bitters” instead of counting our blessings. She encourages us, when we fall into patterns of grumbling and complaining, to step away and remember that “a thankful heart is the fruit of time spent with the Lord.”

So, whether our food is undercooked, overcooked, or perfectly cooked, our tables are set the way we want or not, we have all the people we want around the table or are missing some—or even if we forget the marshmallows on top of the sweet potatoes— we can all count the blessings we do have. And, as we do, our hearts will gravitate towards gratitude to the one who is the giver of every good gift. He is the one from whom all blessings flow, and he is always worthy of our thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving!