EVERYTHING
Recently, I finished a book by Jan Karon, the writer of The Mitford Series. The books are a joy to read, about the happenings in a small community. The main character is a preacher, who can get himself into different predicaments. If he is not involved in one directly, he is there to assist someone get out of the difficult situation he or she is in.
I came to a part in the book that left quite an impression upon me. Father Tim is to stand in for another preacher, to give the weekly sermon. He does not know how to begin his sermon, much less what to say after he makes his introduction. Suddenly, the words come to him, “In everything, give thanks.” He knew these words came from the Bible, but how could someone give thanks for everything?
This got me to thinking how hard it is to give thanks for everything. After all, life is not always a bowl of beautiful roses. Still recovering myself from a painful procedure a few days ago, I do not exactly want to thank the medical team for the pain inflicted. People get the willies just hearing what happened. However, I am thankful I was placed in excellent hands. The doctor was friendly and relaxed, as were others in the room. The nurse was special, someone you could think of as being ‘everyone’s mother.’ Afterwards, I had my family greeting me, taking care of me during recovery. How thankful I am, to have loved ones surrounding me.
We face different levels of challenges in our daily lives. What we must do is trust in God as we greet them, having the faith to know we can make it, not giving up on hope. Without hope, we would be lost. We wonder how we can keep living after a dearly loved one passes. What we have to do is have the faith to know we will see our beloved again someday. We thank God for the hope we grasp onto until that day comes. We give thanks for the friends, families and strangers placed beside us as we struggle through each day.
The past cannot be altered. We have to say thank you for the time we did have together, picking up pieces of wisdom from those whom have gone before us. Those seeds of wisdom are planted, bringing forth words of faith and hope to all generations. We say a prayer of thanks for those words, which blossom and fade, leaving more seeds to grow and prosper the next year, and the year after that.
If things always go smoothly, we forget to take time to actually see and feel what has been given to us. We do not inhale a deep breath and let out a sigh of gladness, just for life itself. No, things do not always go the way we want. It is not always up to us to decide on what is to happen with our lives. We thank God for giving us the freedom of choice, asking Him for the strength of faith, hope and love when the choices of others affects us. We thank Him for His trust, while coming to terms with our excitements and sorrows. We are thankful for those words of wisdom, always reseeding, allowing us to grow in His Spirit, today and always.
