You Are Here
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Another Thanksgiving celebration has come upon us. As I reflect on the year and the provisions and protection God has given me, it can be overwhelming. I say this not because this has been an unusually great year. Yes, there were family vacations and times of happiness, but not all has been easy. There were many times of duress and uncertainty, and I was often unsure what this Thanksgiving Eve would look like. Surprisingly, it looks like a lot of the other ones. That in itself is something to be thankful for. My network of family and friends has grown, and all of them have grown closer to me. Not further away. My spiritual growth continues, and it even feels like God and me are walking together again. However, while I may see things in a positive way so many are suffering. I have gotten to know people who have lost loved ones and had to endure pain and grief that I could not fathom. There are people struggling with uncertainty, anguish, and confusion. My prayers to God have been that He provide them comfort and when I speak with them that my words are His words. In the book of Jeremiah, he said, “Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said
“Look, I have put my words in your mouth!” Jeremiah 1:9
One of my favorite prayers is as many have said to God, “May my heart break for what breaks your heart.” To be in tune emotionally where our heart reacts to things as God would is not a curse. It is a blessing of connectedness that always gives us His perspective. So, this year my devotion of thankfulness is about just being present. It’s like the character Celie Johnson in the movie and book ‘The Color Purple,’ who despite enduring incredible abuse and bigotry, stands up to say, “I'm pore, I'm black, I may be ugly and can't cook, a voice say to everything listening. But I'm here.”
God has us right where we are for a reason, and we are to be thankful no matter the circumstance. Before you get the wrong impression, this is not to say that times right now are not difficult or that there is not pain and suffering in your world. These are things that I cannot know the depths of, but God knows. When the tears fall and you do not know what to do, He is there to listen. Furthermore, He will provide comfort if you just trust Him. In the book of Jonah, remember when Jonah said, “Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” (Jonah 4:3) Yet, the Lord comforted Jonah shading him from the sun and it said, “This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.” (Jonah 4:6b) As today’s verses point out, it does not pretend that there are not gloomy days. It is a reminder that we serve an awesome God, who has never left or forsaken us. It is to say that storms are but temporary while He is everlasting. They are to strengthen our resolve for in these times, we must always remember the words of Jesus Christ, who said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b)
Being thankful for all things requires faith that God will provide for and comfort us in the end. We know this inherently, and yet, we often forget that simple fact. When darkness in our life comes, it is good to focus on the things that God has done for us. Our circumstances today are but a moment toward tomorrow’s glory. Let us both remember the protection and provision that God has given us and use it as reference for shelter in the storm and to give thanks for what is to come! What trial are you enduring today that could be preparing you for God’s will to be done? What blessings provided by God might you be overlooking? My prayer is that we all find thanksgiving in the fact that God simply has brought us to one place: here. Amen, and Happy Thanksgiving.