🌿Episode 27: Made New Again
When God Brings Life Back to Tired Places
Week 4: Renewal — A Thanksgiving Week Reflection
Some seasons arrive quietly.
Renewal is one of them.
We often imagine renewal as a dramatic moment — the kind where everything suddenly makes sense, where the heaviness lifts, and our hearts beat strong again. But most of the time, that’s not how God works. Most of the time, renewal comes slowly… almost gently… the way morning light slips into a dark room without asking for permission.
And this week, as we step into Thanksgiving, that truth feels especially important.
Because for many people, Thanksgiving brings joy, warmth, and connection.
But for others… it brings reminders. Empty chairs. Changes. Grief.
And it can be hard to feel grateful when your heart feels tired.
If that’s you, I want you to hear this today:
Renewal is possible… even here. Even now. Even in this season.
When Renewal Feels Far Away
In Week 4 of the devotional, I wrote about a season when I felt distant from God.
Not because He moved… but because grief created a fog that made it hard to feel anything clearly.
After losing Eryn, renewal felt impossible.
Scripture felt flat.
My mind felt tired.
And even prayer felt heavy… like the words got stuck somewhere between my heart and my mouth.
But healing started in the smallest ways — and that’s something I think we forget.
Renewal rarely begins with a breakthrough.
It begins with presence.
One quiet prayer.
One verse with morning coffee.
One walk where I just talked honestly with God.
One moment of worship where I simply breathed and let Him meet me.
Those small habits became lifelines… reminders that God was still near, even when I couldn’t feel Him.
Thanksgiving and the Weight of Renewal
Thanksgiving is a beautiful holiday, but it can also be a complicated one.
Some years your heart feels full.
Other years, it feels tender.
What I love about the idea of renewal is that it doesn’t demand perfection from us. God doesn’t say:
“You must feel grateful.”
“You must feel strong.”
“You must show up healed.”
He simply invites us to take one small step toward Him.
This Thanksgiving, maybe your heart is overflowing.
Maybe it’s hurting.
Maybe it’s hopeful.
Maybe it’s numb.
Wherever you are… God is already there, breathing new life into tired places.
Renewal doesn’t erase the past.
It gently fills the present.
The Scripture That Anchors Renewal
The verse that shapes this week is simple, but powerful:
“And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” — Ephesians 4:23 (KJV)
Renewal begins in the mind — where your thoughts, expectations, and hopes live.
It’s God slowly reshaping the way you see the world… and yourself.
And another promise that never gets old:
“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed… they are new every morning.”
— Lamentations 3:22–23
New.
Every.
Morning.
Which means renewal isn’t an event — it’s a rhythm.
Small Habits… Big Renewal
James Clear talks about the power of small, consistent actions… and psychology backs that up through neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to rewire itself through repeated patterns.
Spiritually, it’s no different.
The habits we repeat shape the renewal we experience.
Here are a few simple renewal habits anyone can start this week:
Scripture with coffee — one verse that re-centers the heart.
A short walk-and-talk prayer — honesty over structure.
A moment of silence with worship music — letting God breathe.
Naming three small gratitudes — not the big things… the overlooked things.
Renewal isn’t about doing more.
It’s about noticing God more.
A Thanksgiving Invitation
As you step into Thanksgiving week, I want to offer you a gentle invitation:
Slow down.
Take one breath.
Notice one thing God is doing.
Let Him meet you in one small place.
You don’t have to feel renewed to be renewing.
You don’t have to feel grateful to grow gratitude.
You don’t have to be healed to experience healing.
God is already renewing you — quietly, faithfully, day by day.
So wherever this week finds you… may you find space to breathe… to be honest… to rest… and to let God make you new again.
If This Encouraged You…
You can listen to the full episode — Made New Again — on the Rooted for Growth podcast.
And if you’re looking for something to help your heart this holiday season, grab my free resources:
5-Minute Prayer Routine
7 Prayers for the Grieving Heart
Both are available anytime at: WhitmanCollective.com/signup
May this week bring peace, presence, and renewal — in the deepest and quietest places of your heart.
