Thank you.
Gracias.
Obrigada.
Grazie.
Spasibo
“Tank who.”
Danke.
What does it mean to be thankful? And I don’t mean, it’s Thanksgiving Day, we’re gathered around the table and we spout of whatever good thing comes to mind. I mean sincerely thankful. Do you live a life characterized by a thankful heart? Do I?
What are you thankful for? Does this list consist of only positive things? Or maybe it entails a few tragic events, but more than likely they are past events and not circumstances you are currently wading through. Hindsight usually brings a thankful spirit that was missing in the midst of the storm. Or for me at least.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 commands us to “give thanks in all circumstances.” To have a thankful heart is to live a life of gratitude. Don’t get me wrong, this is not something I have even begun to master…I’m not even in the realm of a “mature rookie.” But it’s something I’ve been pondering lately. So often I’m living with a spirit of ungratefulness, so quickly forgetting all the reasons I have to have a heart that says with loud shouts of joy “TANK WHO!”
Are we thankful?
This is the question my husband, who is one of the most thankful people I know, has begun asking before we eat. To some not praying over our meal may seem preposterous…but how many times have I prayed over my meal, “thanked” God for it, but in reality, did not have a thankful heart?
Your closest friends move hours away and you feel left with a blank slate…
A baby is born without sight and hearing…
You lose your job…
You hate your job…
Financial crisis…
Your teenager gets hit by a drunk driver…
Your spouse is diagnosed with a terminal illness…
Life seems like a huge whirlwind in which you can’t keep your feet on the ground…
Do these circumstances sound like familiar Thanksgiving table thanks? Most likely they don't. Are we only to be thankful for the things that go well? And who are we anyway to say if something has "gone well" or not? Our perspective is limited and biased to our own desires.
Colossians 3:15 commands us to be thankful. To have a heart of peace and be thankful. Paul tells us that in Romans 8:28 that “All things work together for the good of those who love Him.” He does ALL THINGS for our good. He remains the same…faithful when we are faithless. “But God demonstrates His own love for us in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Will that truth ever not be true? If that fact remains true forever, then we have all we need to forever be thankful.
Have I been blessed with an amazing, servant hearted, faithful husband, amazing parents who love me beautifully, the world's sweetest and funniest sister, a church that faithfully serves Jesus, a roof over my head, great friends....yes. But the question I am wrestling with is...if all that were taken away, would I still say thank you?
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