Give thanks to the Lord for He is Good
Psalm 107:1; 136:1
This Thursday we take time to offer prayers of thanksgiving, before diving into a feast of turkey with all the fixings and a day of football. The next day we begin the hunt for presents that most people don’t need and exercise our bargain hunting license looking for those extreme deals. When we were growing up, we always got one toy for Christmas, and you hoped that you had left enough clues to make sure that our parents had no doubt what you wanted. Many years I must have been a little too obscure with my clues, as the toy under the tree was not what I had hoped for. There were a couple of years though, when my parents hit a grand slam. I remember those powerful feelings of gratitude that led to lots of hugs and kisses and maybe a tear of joy or two. I’d play with and sleep with that toy for days, but as time passed the feelings of gratitude would begin to fade.
A couple of months ago I was in the Ace Hardware store in Colville. I noticed a young man looking for something in the store. The clerk pointed him towards the appropriate aisle. He thanked the clerk and then said, “Thank you, Jesus.” As he entered the aisle, he could see that it would be the right one – “Thank you, Jesus” rang out again. He found the correct shelf and said another “Thank you, Jesus.” He found the right part and headed towards the cashier with another “Thank you, Jesus.” As he reached the cashier and found the right amount of money in his wallet, another “Thank you, Jesus.” As he completed his purchase, he thanked the cashier and one last “Thank you, Jesus” as he headed out the door. Some of my psychology colleagues might have found a “diagnosis” for his behavior. What I saw was a genuine attitude of gratitude.
As I pondered that encounter, I began to reflect on my own attitude. I looked at my prayer life and recognized that there were things I thanked God for day after day. I always thanked him for my salvation, my amazing wife, children, and grandchildren. I lift up prayers of thanksgiving for my church and those God has called to serve there. I thank him for the family I was born into and the one I married into. I thank him for those he has used in my spiritual growth. And yes, I thank him for the physical blessings he has provided throughout my life. Then one day, I realized that my list got more difficult to expand. I tried to reflect on the events of that day and found myself thanking God for a job I still enjoy, for the privilege as a therapist to be invited into the very soul of my clients. I was grateful for the opportunity to hang out with some really bright young adults as I try to pass on knowledge I have gained over a lifetime. I continued to add the great positive things from my day to the list. Then something odd happened, I began to add the trials from my day. I thanked him for my broken arm, remembering how that led to lots of special time and attention from my wife that was made possible by my immobility. I thanked God for my pain as it reminded me of the privilege of being alive. I thanked him for the struggle to climb stairs as the extra 50 pounds I was carrying reminded me of his abundant provision of food and everything else I need in life. I even expressed gratitude for our first son Jacob whose mental illness often made life difficult and broke our heart as he ended his own life. That experience gave me a heart of compassion for those struggling with mental health issues and addiction, and I found some of my sweetest intimate times with God as I worked through my grief.
Sometimes in life it is easy to have an attitude of gratitude, when things go well, and we get the special toys and times in life. At other times it is much more difficult as we face the devastating events in life that seek to destroy every ounce of our joy. Having gratitude doesn’t mean we don’t simultaneously experience sadness, grief, discouragement, even despair. The first half of my list came from me. The latter part of the list marked by trials and pain came from someone who knows me much better than I will ever know myself. Sometimes an attitude of gratitude is supernatural. It is way beyond what I can muster up on my own. It becomes a test of what I believe about my God. Do I trust him when He says, “For I know the plans I have for you, . . ., plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer 29:11) Do I trust that God is good? As the psalmist wrote, “Give thanks to the Lord” – why? – “for He is good.”
I pray that you were able to take some private time with God this weekend to truly reflect your gratitude for the immeasurable blessings that come from our Creator. Let me give you an Advent challenge. Get yourself a journal and at the end of each day, list as many things as you can think of to express thanks to God. Some of the things you list may surprise you as you remember that everything we experience comes from a Lord who is good. Thank you, Jesus!!
Blessings,
Pastor Doug