"In Everything Give Thanks"

"In Everything Give Thanks" Really? You mean in everything I am going to give thanks? The Bible does instruct this.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

^"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

If I were to take inventory of the past two years I would start with one thing. That is the fact that the amount of tears one sheds should have been directly related to the amount of weight one loses. Then again with that idea, I would be down about  100 pounds and that would not be healthy. 

Tears. Lots of tears. And the knowledge that God is writing this story and I am smack dab in the middle of it would be reason to NOT give thanks. Yet somehow, in each day out of habit, out of necessity, out the understanding of this Bible verse I am waking up to giving thanks. 

I had a dear friend give me this mug a few weeks ago. It has sat on my desk reminding me that regardless of the life circumstances we are in, "In everything give thanks". She gave it to me because in her words, "it reminds me of you." I cried when she gave it to me because I certainly do not feel thankful in the depths of my soul.  I certainly, from the outside looking in have some big events in my life which do not cause one to bow in prayer and thanksgiving. But guess what? I do. I do bow my head in thanks or drive with my eyes wide open giving thanks.

But really let me break this down. 

Life can be freaking hard. Crying every day kind of hard. I talked with a precious friend this week who is grieving ten years out the loss of her baby girl. A stillborn baby. She was her firstborn. I sat in a hospital room for two days when she delivered her baby girl that she would never watch grow up. And I think, "give thanks". Yet we know that YOU give and take away. And, "In everything give thanks" is written in your Word. With this kind of freaking hard how on earth does anyone give thanks?

As I drive down the gravel road every day on my way to work I give thanks.  When it drive up the gravel road to the house I give thanks. I thank God for the beautiful little farm we live on. I thank God for the sunshine, or the rain or the hot or the cold. I thank God that in this very hard season he has given me a job that nurtures my heart and provides hours that I can be home in the early afternoons with my children. I thank God for each of my children, and our health and our circumstances.  I say all of this out loud. Reminding myself that this is, "the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Some days through tears I say the words. Some days through deep sadness I say the words. Some days when I have no words or tears left I say the words. Thank you. Thank you God for everything. 

And then some-day's I am angry with God for all this hard stuff and even then I say thank you. Because between all the lines of hard there is God showing me daily that HE had got all of this hard stuff. Daily blessings, daily pouring His joy and wonder through and in it all. Daily I smile, laugh and see His work and plans being laid in place. I cannot question what God's plan is and I can blubber over the "why's" and still give thanks. I cannot control the evils of this world. I can only do one thing that is my saving grace and that is to, "In everything give thanks."

I know I started giving thanks when I was about eight years old. My Sunday school teacher, Alice Warren, told me that, "no matter what always give thanks to God." We memorized this verse and I told God I would thank Him everyday for something, no matter what. And now with this darling mug on my desk and almost 44 years later someone notices that I am a thankful person. Amen and #GloryBe !!