Gratitude in Meaningful Relationships: A Four-Day Thanksgiving Devotion Series (2025)

Gratitude in Meaningful Relationships: A Four-Day Thanksgiving Devotion Series (2025)

By Dr. James L. Cartee III

Thanksgiving invites us to pause, breathe, and look closely at the relationships that shape our lives. In a world that often moves too fast, this holiday reminds us that true gratitude is found not in things, but in people—those God has placed in our lives to guide, grow, comfort, and encourage us.

This four-day Thanksgiving Devotion Series (2025) explores four types of meaningful relationships: close friends, family (grandparents, parents, and siblings), mentors, and our spouses and children.

Together, they form a powerful reminder that “Every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17, NIV).

Below you’ll find each devotion video with a written summary to help you reflect and share the message with others.

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✨ Day 1: The Gift of Close Friends

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/o_6k1vaNuvE

Summary

The series begins by focusing on the blessing of close friends—those who walk beside us during joyful seasons and stand with us through the hardest moments. True friendship reflects the heart of God, offering loyalty, encouragement, strength, and compassion.

We reflected on Scriptures such as:

• Proverbs 17:17 (NIV): “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”
• John 15:13 (NIV): “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Close friends sharpen us, challenge us, and remind us that we do not have to navigate life alone. During Thanksgiving, taking a moment to express gratitude to a friend can strengthen a bond that may have quietly shaped your life for years.

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✨ Day 2: The Gift of Grandparents, Parents, and Siblings (Close Family)

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/jOPLQ_cdu0Y

Summary

Day 2 centers on family—the foundation of many of our earliest memories and life lessons. We reflected on grandparents whose influence continues even after they are gone, parents who sacrifice more than we ever realized, and siblings who walk with us from childhood into adulthood.

Scriptures highlighted include:

• Exodus 20:12 (NIV): “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
• Psalm 133:1 (NIV): “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”

This devotion includes personal reflections about my own family, including my grandparents who are deeply missed, my parents who supported me through difficult academic seasons, and my sister whose kindness shaped so many of my younger years. Thanksgiving reminds us not to take these relationships for granted.

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✨ Day 3: The Gift of Mentors

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/xw8rbx7_TmQ

 

Summary

On Thanksgiving Day, we turned our attention to mentors—people God uses to guide, challenge, and shape us. Whether in our careers, our education, or our faith journeys, mentors help us become better versions of ourselves.

Biblical examples remind us of the power of mentorship:

• Proverbs 11:14 (NIV): “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.”
• 2 Timothy 1:6 (NIV): “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God…”

I also shared stories of the business mentors who influenced my early career and the academic mentors who encouraged me through graduate school. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to reach out and express appreciation to someone whose guidance changed your path.

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✨ Day 4: The Gift of Spouses & Children

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/qVFMEOwKV0E

 

Summary

The final devotion celebrates the most intimate relationships in our lives: our spouses and children. These are the people who fill our days with laughter, memories, routines, and joy. They represent God’s daily favor and are often the ones who see us at our best and worst.

Scriptures guiding this message include:

• Proverbs 18:22 (NIV): “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.”
• Psalm 127:3 (NIV): “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.”
• Colossians 3:14 (NIV): “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

In this devotion, I shared personal stories, including concert date nights with my wife, Lisa; the day I asked her to marry me; fun traditions with our children, Annabelle and Jace; and the joy of investing in simple family moments. Gratitude strengthens love, and love deepens gratitude.

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🌟 Final Reflection: Why These Devotions Matter

As we move through the holiday season, gratitude becomes a spiritual practice that resets our minds and renews our hearts. When we take time to reflect on meaningful relationships, such as friends, family, mentors, spouses, and children, we begin to truly appreciate the people who have shaped our lives in both big and small ways. These devotions remind us that gratitude invites peace, strengthens relationships, shifts our hearts toward what truly matters, and honors God for the blessings He has given. In a world filled with distraction and hurry, Thanksgiving calls us to slow down, notice the gifts right in front of us, and “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV). My prayer is that these four devotions bring encouragement, reflection, and warmth to your heart this season and remind you that some of the greatest blessings in life are the ones sitting right beside you.

#ThanksgivingDevotion #Gratitude #FaithAndFamily #ChristianEncouragement #RelationshipBlessings #SpiritualGrowth #GiveThanks #BibleReflection #ChristianLiving
#HolidayInspiration #MeaningfulRelationships

Tiny Miracles in Flight: Reflections on the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

(After receiving a band, the ruby-throated hummingbird flew out of Lisa’s hand back into migration. Lisa portrayed her one-of-a-kind, beautiful smile in this video!) 

Lately, life has felt a bit turbulent for my wife, Lisa, and me. Our 2008 Jeep Commander has been sitting in the shop for almost three weeks now. The transmission was replaced with another used one, but the car still slips into “limp mode” after a short drive. Car problems can be so frustrating, especially when they seem never-ending. The daily responsibilities of life can sometimes feel like an endless grind going nowhere.

However, even in these moments, I am reminded of Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” This verse calls us to pause in the middle of life’s storms and recognize God’s sovereignty. Being still is not always easy when problems demand our attention, but it is in stillness that we often sense His presence. Watching the ruby-throated hummingbirds hover at our feeders has become that reminder for me. As I sit quietly beneath our porch, the Lord uses these tiny creatures to remind me that even when life feels chaotic, He is constant, steady, and faithful.

In the middle of my frustrations, Lisa surprised me with two thoughtful gifts: a pair of hummingbird feeders. One is a traditional upright feeder with the University of Tennessee Volunteers logo, and the other is a saucer-shaped feeder. These feeders have brought a refreshing new perspective into our daily lives and reminded me to pause long enough to appreciate God’s creation.

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A Little History About Hummingbird Feeders

The story of the first commercially available hummingbird feeder began with a 1928 National Geographic article that described feeding hummingbirds with small glass bottles. Inspired by that piece, Laurence J. Webster of Boston decided to create a feeder for his wife. Between 1929 and 1935, he worked with an MIT glassblower named James Ryan to bring the design to life.

Nearly two decades later, in 1947, National Geographic once again spotlighted Webster’s feeder — this time in an article by Harold Edgerton. The piece featured groundbreaking strobe photographs of hummingbirds using the device. That article sparked widespread curiosity and admiration, and by 1950 the Webster feeder was being sold commercially through the Audubon Novelty Company of Medina, New York.

From those humble beginnings, today’s wide variety of feeders, including the two now hanging on our porch, continue to connect people to these astonishing little birds and the miracles of their design.

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The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Here in Tennessee, the ruby-throated hummingbird is our most common native species. These remarkable birds depend on sweet nectar to fuel their incredible energy needs, but their diets also include protein-rich insects—sometimes consuming hundreds per day.

Their flying abilities are unmatched. Their wings beat 53 times per second, allowing them to hover, fly backward, and even flip upside down. They migrate thousands of miles, often flying more than 500 miles nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico to winter in Central America.

Their speed is staggering: forward flight can reach 30 mph, with dives doubling that to nearly 60 mph. Their hearts beat up to 1,200 times per minute, and even their tongues move with lightning speed, lapping nectar 10–15 times per second.

The “hum” we hear is not their voice but the sound of their wings, moving like oars in constant motion. Every detail of their design points to God’s brilliance in creation.

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The Banding Experience

In August this year, I attended the Ijams Nature Center Hummingbird Festival, where I witnessed a sight I will never forget. Mark, a hummingbird banding specialist, had created an ingenious system of cages surrounding traditional feeders. When a hummingbird entered to sip nectar, he triggered a fishing reel to gently close the door, safely capturing the bird inside.

From there, the process slowed into an almost reverent rhythm. Each bird was carefully placed in a soft mesh bag, designed to calm them until Mark could begin his work. He gently measured their wingspan, weighed them, and examined their feathers with the skill of a surgeon but the tenderness of a caretaker. Then came the banding itself: a tiny metal ring, no larger than a pinhead, was placed on the ankle of each bird. The bands are so small that the human eye can barely see them, yet they hold vital information to help researchers understand migration patterns and lifespans.

To keep the birds safe while waiting, Mark had even repurposed a bicycle wheel into a hanging stand where the bags could rest without stress on the birds inside. Every step of his process reflected a devotion to both science and the preservation of God’s creation. If a hummingbird proved too restless, Mark released it immediately rather than risk harm.

The most breathtaking part came when he invited us to participate. He gently placed a newly banded hummingbird in my open hand. For a moment, the bird was still, which was a behavior I had never experienced so closely in person with these fast, energetic fliers. A hummingbird will occasionally perch on one of my feeders. However, if you move closer, they often dart away, startled by motion. This time, I felt the bird’s tiny body pulsing with life, its heart beating hundreds of times faster than mine. Then, in a flash, it lifted into the sky, vanishing in a blur of wings.

Later, I returned with Lisa and our children, Annabelle and Jace, to another banding event at Seven Islands State Birding Park in Kodak, Tennessee. The moment became even more meaningful because I got to share it with my family. Both of my children were captivated by the sight of a hummingbird resting quietly in their small hands before darting back into flight. Annabelle’s eyes widened with wonder, and Jace, usually full of energy, stood unusually still as he observed the delicate creature up close. Like me, they had never seen a hummingbird sit still, and their awe was written all over their faces. For them, the experience was not just educational; it was magical.

Lisa’s love for animals made the moment even more profound. I knew how much it would mean to her to witness a ruby-throated hummingbird up close, its tiny feathers shimmering with color and life. The smile on her face as she held one spoke volumes. For Lisa, Annabelle, Jace, and me, those few minutes became something much larger than a family outing. It felt like a sacred moment, one of those rare times when God’s presence in creation becomes almost tangible. As we stood together, holding those delicate birds, we were reminded that the same God who sustains these fragile creatures also cares for us with that same love and attention to detail.

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A Moment of Devotion

Experiences like this draw me back to Scripture. Job 12:7–10 tells us: “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you… In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”

When I held that hummingbird, I was struck by how God’s presence is revealed in the smallest details of His creation. The ruby-throated hummingbird, fragile yet fearless, whispers of His greatness. The stillness of those moments reminded me to look beyond myself, to see God’s hand in His creation and in the narrative rhythm of my own life.

And as Matthew 6:26 reminds us: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” These words are not just about birds. These words are about God’s love for us. If He provides so faithfully for creatures as small as hummingbirds, then how much more does He provide for His children?

Moments in nature, like witnessing the careful banding of a hummingbird, remind me to slow down. They remind me that our relationship with the Lord deepens when we sit still, dwell in His creation, and acknowledge His hand at work.

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Closing Thoughts

Despite car troubles and the weight of everyday frustrations, these encounters with hummingbirds have lifted my perspective. The same God who gave these tiny birds the strength to cross oceans is present in my daily struggles.

When I sit beneath our feeders or remember the weight of a hummingbird in my hand, I am reminded that God’s creation is both beautiful and intentional in design. And if He cares so deeply for a creature that weighs the same number of ounces as a penny, how much more must He care for us?

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Prayer of Significance

Lord, thank You for the beauty of Your creation and the reminders it brings of Your presence in our lives. Help me to slow down and notice the miracles around me, to find peace in Your handiwork, and to trust that You care for me even more than the smallest of creatures. Amen.

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Experiential Photographs/Videos

Please view these recent videos and photos of my recent hummingbird adventures. These friendly features are captivating with the marvels of observed creationism!

(In this video, Mark, the hummingbird banding specialist, intricately recorded measurements for research purposes and placed a band on the ankle of the small bird.)

(The hummingbirds are held tightly in this capacity to protect their bodies, hence this gentle grip prevented nervous movement with fluttering wings.)

(Mark, the banding specialist, designed this wheel to briefly hold the hummingbirds before being measured.)

(You can see the small band on the bird’s ankle here.)

(Mark used several tools to band the hummingbirds, including these small pliers. At the top of this picture, you can see his magnifying glasses.)

(I stood in front of the Ijiams Hummingbird Festival sign for a memorable pose.)

(It still amazes me how tiny these creatures are in size and weight! The park ranger welcomes the photo op with the guest of honor.)

(You can see the ruler Mark used here for some of his research data collection.)

(Mark blew through a sipping straw on the feathers of the hummingbird to observe the colors of its belly.)

(Annabelle held the hummingbird here in her palm before the tiny animal flew away.)

#GodsCreation #BeStillAndKnow #FaithAndFamily #GratitudeInSmallThings #ChristianDevotional #EverydayBlessings #FindingGodInNature #KnoxvilleTN #TinyMiracles #RubyThroatedHummingbird #HummingbirdJoy #BirdWatching #BackyardBirding #FamilyMoments