Choosing To Be Thankful

I Thessalonians 5:18 – In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 

It is so easy to look at parts of my life and be thankful for the many blessings that I have. Like those two cute lil people in this picture.  Look at them, one has pajamas on (he wore them all day) and the other has his hoodie on backwards because that is how he wanted it.  Happy as can be, painting their pumpkins.  I am ever so thankful for these moments. I know they will not be little forever... 

But what does being thankful in ALL things look like when things are not good?  How do we say, yes in this horrible nightmare that I am living right now, I am thankful, and truly mean it? 

As many of you know, a very dear friend of mine recently passed, leaving behind her adult children and four grandbabies.  I admit I am struggling with this.  I see my friends daughter, who I have been friends with my entire life, living in a nightmare that I cannot fix or even ease the deep sadness she is living with.  I cannot say "well, you know you should be thankful because this or that".  Those seem like empty words that cause the wound to ooze just a bit more. Sure with time the pain might lessen as she goes about her life.  But, how does that help now? How do I say, be thankful in this tremendously treacherous valley that you are now forced to travel in your life?  

This being thankful in ALL things, is extremely challenging to me. Just like I talk so much about choosing love no matter how much someone deserves it, being thankful in all things is a choice.  I notice that no where in this verse does it say be thankful in only good things or it is easy to be thankful.  It is just a charge of what we must do.  It is one of those things that really doesn't make sense to me, but if you trust in who God really is, then we must try. 

Please do not misunderstand me. I am thankful for the many years that I knew my friend. I am thankful that she is not suffering. I am thankful that she made it to the finish line and is in eternity.  I am putting my faith where my emotions want to react and saying even in this, I too shall be thankful.  It just requires a little bit more from me.  

One thing I know for sure is this: God will come and meet you where you are at. That is a promise that I know and have seen personally witnessed in my life.  He is aware of inadequacies and our inability to understand the "why's" of our lives. As I continue along my journey, I am taking this very difficult yet valuable season of my life and saying, even when I don't understand, even when I can't see anything good, in these things I will choose to be thankful.  

Choose love and be blessed wildly, 

wendy xo