In All Circumstances....

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thes 5:18

How easy it is to give thanks when we are experiencing a blessing in our lives. Our hearts sing and our spirits soar with gratitude and thankfulness. But what about when death steals the life of a loved one, when that spouse abandons his life with us, or when we are riddled with disease? This verse clearly states that it is the will of God to give thanks in ALL circumstances.

I remember a certain day in April, 2008 when I learned this first hand. I went with my daughter and son-in-law to the ultra sound of our little baby. As we learned that the baby was a healthy girl I was thankful but also saddened as I faced the possibility of losing another little girl – my little sister. The day continued as I took my father-in-law suffering with Alzheimer’s to three doctor’s appointments. It was a grueling day as he stayed confused, frustrated with his situation and agitated. As we sat in the doctor’s office of his last appointment I received a phone call from my son at college. His apartment had been robbed while he was in class and his laptop along with other items had been stolen. I began the process required to report this to the police. In the meantime, my dad called to discuss his fear of Beth’s possible death. It was all too much! My father-in-law sat absorbing all of this the way a child watches their parents.

When we got in the car my precious father-in-law summed up my present situation from his perspective. Allow me to share his view with you. “Brenda, have they found a cure for your sister?” I replied no. “Brenda, does your dad still have cancer?” I replied yes. “Brenda, did your son just got robbed?” I replied yes. He turned and looked at me with that simple truth of a child and stated, “Girl, you are shooting dice with no spots!” I realized at that moment how thankful I was for God’s humor and the love He provides through different means.

Later that day on my way to Beth’s I got overwhelmed thinking about all of the challenges and sadness facing me. I began sobbing so hard I could barely see to drive and began crying out to God to remove the pain. The pain was too great to contain within my heart and I knew relief had to come. I heard God say, “Thank me.” Honestly my first response was “For what?” I heard Him repeat the command so I began thanking Him. The more I thanked Him the harder I sobbed but just kept thanking Him for certain things in my life. I called Becki and asked her to pray over me which she did and she prayed a beautiful prayer of deliverance of my pain. The pain subsided and peace returned to my heart.

In remembering that day, I will always know that we cannot control what the dice rolls for us in life but if we give thanks to God in ALL circumstances we place spots on those die ensuring a winning roll.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and remember to give thanks in ALL circumstances.