A friend picked out a large coffee cup for me with 1 Thessalonians 5:18 on it. “In everything give thanks.” I told her how much I loved it, but then I got to thinking; everything? Really? Then, as usual, the Holy Spirit straightened it out for me. It doesn’t say for everything give thanks. I suddenly understood! There are things in our life for which we can never be thankful, but in every situation there are always other things to sincerely thank God for.
I sure wasn’t feeling thankful when my mother died when I was only 14 or even when my wife died when I was 71. When I thought about the serious illnesses my mother nursed me through, leaving me in good health and then our pastor assured me we will be together again, I found I had reason to give thanks even in that time of sorrow. I’ve told how lost I was when Carol died, When I realized how blessed I was to have shared life with her for more than fifty years, my gratitude eased my pain and began to heal my heart. The Holy Spirit also reminded me that we will be together again. I know I’ve written about those events before, but those lessons are worth repeating.
It seems like most of my friends have faced serious problems in the past several months. Illnesses, surgeries and injuries have taken their toll, not to mention the aches and pains that come with an aging body. Add to those woes the mechanical failures. My air conditioner has been out all summer and my refrigerator also conked out on me. Then, my caregiver told me my washing machine was also no longer working. Several friends have had car trouble. We obviously aren’t the only ones showing the effects of aging. Even our physically convenient appliances and transportation we so often take for granted are showing the wear and tear of years of use as well. As grim as all of this sounds, we have all found things in our life to thank God for even while going through those situations.
Have you been going through some rough times too? I hope you have been able to count your blessings and give God thanks in spite of your situation. Counting our blessings isn’t just a phrase in a song; it is an important part of living the Christian life. After all, if we aren’t thankful for what we have, what makes us think we will be happy with more?