Thankfulness and Hard Things

I’m keenly aware this year that sometimes it’s hard to be thankful. When I find it difficult to have gratitude because of circumstances in my life that I am not thankful for, I follow Paul’s encouragement to us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 to, “Rejoice at all times. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in every circumstance…” All means all. Every means every. So, when I can’t feel it, I make a choice to believe it, knowing that God is using my circumstances to do a work in me so great that I will come out of the Refiner’s fire pure as gold…and for that I am thankful.

For the Thanksgiving of Hard Things

Oh Lord, you who are the Author of all good things, help us, we pray, to be truly thankful for the afflictions and hardships that mark our lives, especially for those things that bring to light our weaknesses of character, our limitations of body, our true need of each other, and our great need of you, so that we might witness the power of your Spirit making us by grace a little more like Christ himself. We pray this in the name of the One whose grace is made perfect in weakness. Amen. - from “Prayers for the Pilgrimage” by David Taylor

By Kimberley Sasan

Photo by Andy Holmes @andyjh07 and used by permission via Unsplash