Give Thanks in All Circumstances
In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
(1 Thesolonians 5:18)
We have just celebrated my favorite holiday here in the United States, Thanksgiving. Growing up, I loved all the family getting together, playing board games, eating delicious food and, of course, having pie for dessert. Although I am thankful for all of these blessings and memories, it wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized we are called to be thankful in even the hard times.
This past month has been full of opportunities to give thanks, in easy and not so easy times. To give thanks for blessings I see and those that I might not see so easily.
It started with uncertainty related to the government shutdown and the hold on SNAP benefits. I work three jobs, but even still, as a single mother, it can be a struggle to make ends meet. I am so thankful that I am blessed with a roof over my head, employment to pay the bills and help to get the food to feed my family. I was down to my last $65 dollars and was trying to be as prudent as possible with how I spent it when my supervisor at one of my jobs called and said they were asking all the employees if they were SNAP recipients and, if so, could they help supplement until things were going again. I burst into tears at the generosity of God being displayed through these kind people.
The next moment of thankfulness came when we went on a trip to New York to see the balloons inflated for the Macy’s parade. We drove in on Tuesday night so we could be there for Wednesday. It was a long drive – dark and rainy – so I was very thankful that my sister-in-law was able to do a good deal of the driving.
The next morning when we woke up and were about to get on the road, we found that my car had a flat tire. I was very thankful that my oldest sister had taught us how to change the tire and also that my second oldest sister made sure that I have AAA roadside assistance because the tire wouldn’t come off despite my valiant effort. I was also thankful that the tire went flat when it did – after we had showered, slept soundly and had a good breakfast, instead of at midnight when it was dark and rainy with no place to pull over.
While waiting to get the tire changed my sister-in-law started having symptoms which, at first, seemed like acne, but continued to evolve to the point where we felt she needed a trip to the emergency room. It turns out, she had shingles. Luckily, she was able to get medical attention to relieve her symptoms.
While my sister-in-law was being seen at the hospital, my daughter, my niece and I were able to go see the balloons This may seem harsh, but both my daughter and my niece have special needs, so keeping calm and as normal as possible was necessary for their sake.
If all of these things had happened before I really found my faith, it would have shaken me. Yet through each one of these challenges, my heart was singing songs about “blessings coming in raindrops” and “praising God in the storm.” It is easy to say thank you when you get what you want or when blessings look the way you expect them to look, but I pray my heart continues to grow in thankfulness even in the hardest of times. In fact, I have found that the more often I stop to give thanks, the more I notice all the things for which I have to be thankful.
Loving, merciful Father, I praise you and thank you for all of the goodness you pour out upon my life, but I also thank you for the struggles which remind me that you are by my side through it all. In all things, I thank You. Amen.
