Happy Thanksgiving

Give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus

for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

I am ever so thankful for so many things: family, health, friends...

I am especially thankful for the salvation provided by God through Christ Jesus.

But as I thought back over my life, I have to admit surprise at what I discovered to be a main reason for thanksgiving: the trials in my life.

I know that must sound strange, but I realized that the major difficulties in my life brought changes in me that cause rejoicing. Let me cite a few:

First there was the time my husband was laid off for ten months. I think I've shared before that I used to be a real worrier, especially about our finances. But it was through learning how to worship and praise God during the stress of living on my part-time paycheck plus stretching the severance he received when his job ended. I often turned to key passages (Isaiah 40, Job 38-41, various Psalms) to help me think about God and who He is, of His love for me. And of course Matthew 6:25-34. I never again worried about our finances, even when financial uncertainty hit again. 

Moving to Ohio for seven years showed me that I can learn contentment wherever I might be, even when my husband was struggling to accept our relocation. Being away from our young grandsons was hard, especially when your youngest didn't remember us from one visit to the next. But where we live is not as important as we thought, for God is with us always; we always find  other Christians for fellowship; and we make friends wherever we are.

And when we moved back to New York state because of things going on where he was working in Ohio, God was evident in so many of the details: a "chance" connection between my parents and someone instrumental in procuring a job for Bob; a "chance" connection at a place where we often vacationed that resulted in my involvement in Community Bible Study; and on and on it went. Plus one daughter and her husband moved to the same town and we were now just a little over an hour from our other daughter's family. My God is a God of details, for certain.

Of course, there were a number of personal challenges I won't share here. But I even thank God for my short walk with cancer (I'm still cancer free at this writing). I found I could anticipate Heaven with total peace and even a sense of eagerness. The truth is, I actually felt a certain disappointment that I would still have many years of life on this earth. Not that I'm complaining because I am really thankful for the healing, for the extra time to perhaps see my granddaughters reach adulthood, to see my AWOL grandson return to God and family, to see his brother through college and perhaps married, to see my son married. I found Isaiah 43:1-3 especially encouraging during that time:

But now thus says the Lord...

"Fear  not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name,

you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, 

I will be with you;

and through the rivers, 

they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through the fire

you shall not be burned,

and the flame shall not consume you.

For I am the Lord Your God,

the Holy One of Israel,

your Savior."

And then there was 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18, verses we memorized in Community Bible Study Leadership Council at precisely the time I needed them:

So we do not lose heart.

Though our outerself is wasting away,

our inner self is being renewed day by day.

For this light momentary affliction

is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory

beyond all comparison,

as we look not to the things that are seen 

but to the things that are unseen.

For the things that are seen are transient,

but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Yes, indeed, there is much to be thankful for this year and every year!