Thankful

Being thankful is a way of coping with any situation I think. There is always something we can be thankful for.

Today on TV we see thankfulness being shown to our first responders and nurses and doctors like never before. We are thankful in spite of the tragedy that has brought about this thankfulness. In fact we were pretty blase about this whole thankful thing a few months ago. We took it for granted that our lives and our jobs would just keep clipping along and I think we got pretty comfortable.

In fact I think we found ourselves complaining about this and that. Things that in the face of this giant “the virus” we see as pretty petty.

Now instead of complaining because this or that was not perfect and did not meet o our standards we find ourselves thankful for little things like going for a walk or talking to someone through zoom.

We miss the intimacy of close friends and loved ones. We miss being able to hang out at our favorite restaurant. Don’t you miss that noisy chatter of a room filled with people? We might even miss standing in line at the post office. It is all very weird and surreal and all we want is for things to go back to normal.

We wonder why this has happened to us. There are many explanations both political and spiritual. But in general I wonder if it was our lack of thankfulness. God saw a nation of proud, overachievers enjoying life’s abundance and we were complaining. Yes I know I was. I would have to remind  myself to be thankful sometimes because I would start down that old bumpy road of complaining. If you have read and study the Bible for any length of time you have realized God just is not on board with complainers.

The Israelites complained on their way to the promised land and got 40 more years in the wilderness.

Romans 1:21 is pretty graphic about the this problem. “Because when they knew God ( in other words they knew there was a God) they glorified him not as God, Neither were thankful—but became vain in their imagination—-” if you read on  you find God passing judgment on them.

Thankfulness is the key to much of the depression and discouragement we feel at this time. Yes because Phil.4:8,9 reads, ” The Lord is at hand. He has not fled from us because of the disease nor is He hiding behind a mask.  Be careful(not filled with cares and worries) for nothing. but in everything by

prayer

suppplication asking humbly

with thanksgiving

let your request be made known unto God.

You know what happens when  you do this?  “The peace of God  which passes all  understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

And yes if you need resources of any kind He will provide but most of all He will give you peace in your heart.

A lot of us have experienced fear and anxiety to the point of losing it more than once during this crazy and unprecedented time. We need to just remind ourselves of who God is. He is all powerful and able to provide everything we need.

In fact when you begin to doubt that just look out any window and observe—you will no doubt see birds. What did Jesus tell us about the birds? Yes He said His heavenly Father feeds them and are we not of more importance than the birds to Him? Of course.

When I have been really down about finances God never fails to show me the birds and I can’t deny what He says is true for the birds and therefore is more than true for me. He will provide some way or some how. He is just encouraging us right now to practice thankfulness for what we do have. What He has provided already.

Be thankful even for little things and there are a thousand little things to be thankful for. Trust me when you make a concious  effort to begin to list the things you can be thankful for right now you will come up with quite a list and still there will be more.