THANKS-LIVING
Showing gratitude amid tough circumstances provides new perspective
Showing gratitude amid tough circumstances provides new perspective
My parents' later years in life were difficult. It was one health problem after another. My father who had never been in a hospital before his 70s and had always been a strong athletic tough guy, suffered emotionally with his illness more than mother. He became very dependent on her not just for his physical care but for his overall well-being.
One habit she began with him during a particularly rough period was sharing five reasons to be grateful every evening. I can still see them in my mind's eye, lying in bed at night, holding hands, with a caretaker in the next room, and naming out loud five reasons to thank God. They found a deep joy even in the midst of the hardest time.
Perhaps nothing changes us more than the habit of gratitude. Maybe one reason is that it begins in humility, so much of what we receive is not of our own doing but a gift. If there is a gift, then there is a Giver outside of self. Thanking our giving God in the morning for the blessing of the day, saying thanks before a meal, thanking people throughout the day for the smallest of services — adds joy to our hearts.
There's also something deeper about living a thanksgiving life. Author Brennan Manning says “the person with an abiding spirit of gratitude is the one who trusts God.” When we're grateful, we are paying attention to God's faithfulness and remembering His kindnesses. That builds trust and grows our awareness of spotting the graces that make life fuller.
Yet, it's so easy for circumstances to pull us down the hole of negativity. It's a slick slide these days with one crisis and then another. There are more cancellations this week amidst rising COVID-19 numbers. We anticipate Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with fewer family gatherings than in the past. This traditionally bright holiday season has the potential to fade before our eyes if we let it. Thanks-giving will give us perspective.
As I face my small turkey meal this year and say a prayer of gratitude, I will look back on this year and gather up the blessings not just the losses. Thank you, Lord, for good weather and long walks. For dedicated doctors and nurses. For America. For neighborhood parks and new parks to explore. For road trips and the forgotten fun of a PB&J sandwich at a roadside park. For family members who have moved home to
“The root of joy is gratefulness. It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” — Brother David Steindle-Rast
Oklahoma. For our community of people who tirelessly serve others.
And for pulling us close, Lord, we thank you. For when we awakened at night, there is Someone to talk to. When we're mad as a hornet, there is Someone to listen to.
When we're sad and stuck in the losses, there is Someone who comforts. And when anxiety rattles our cages, there's a book to believe in and scriptures to plant in our hearts like these words from Philippians 4:6: “Don't be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.”
When things are hard and times are tough, faking happiness may actually feel good for a moment, but it's shallow. Choosing the discipline of being grateful taps into the deep joy of trusting God regardless of circumstances.
Happy Thanksgiving, Oklahoma. God bless us all.
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His love is everlasting — Psalm 107:1.