Faithfully yours - When it’s hard to be thankful

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Published on Saturday, October 22, 2016

By Neil Strohschein

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This week’s column is the first of two that I am sending to those who, especially this past week, have asked the question: “What do I have for which I can be truly thankful?”

You know who you are. I know who some of you are.

Maybe you’ve lost your job. Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with cancer. Maybe you’ve been told that you have a disease for which there is no cure; and that it is only a matter of time before you and the hopes and dreams you’ve had for a long and happy life will die. For you, a season that should be filled with gratitude is instead filled with uncertainty and fear. In those circumstances, it’s hard to be thankful.

So the last words you probably want to hear today are St. Paul’s words to the Christians in Thessalonica: “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) You’re probably thinking, as I often have, that of all the commands we read in the Scriptures, this one is by far the most difficult command to obey.

But let’s pause for a moment and ask an important question. Can we find something, even when facing the worst that life has to offer, for which we can be truly thankful?

If we posed that question to St. Paul, he might tell us the story of the visit he and Silas made to the Greek city of Philippi. Roughly two weeks after they arrived, they were arrested, charged with disturbing the peace, beaten and thrown in jail for the night. Yet, as we read this story (see Acts 16), we find them praying and singing praises to God so loudly that everyone in the jail can hear them. And this comes after they have been falsely accused, brutally beaten and imprisoned without ever having been given any sort of trial; let alone a fair one.

Was it hard for them to be thankful? You bet! Were they thankful for what they had been forced to endure that day? Of course not! It was unjust and unjustified. So what did they remember that we often forget when we are going through similar circumstances?

They remembered that they were not alone. God was no stranger to prison life. Whenever faithful followers of Christ were thrown in jail because of their faith, God was right there, watching over them, protecting them and ensuring that no additional harm came to them. God was with Paul and Silas in their jail cell just as he had been with Peter and others who had done time for defying the religious authorities and preaching the gospel.

It is easy to feel alone when going through hard times. We may be surrounded by people who care and who want to help; but more often than not, their best is far from what we need.

If that’s how you feel, take heart. The God who created you and who has been watching over you since the day you were born is not about to abandon you in your time of need. You may not feel his presence. You can’t see him. But he is there—where you are—right beside you—walking that difficult path with you. He has not left you to face your hardships alone and he never will.

The New Creed of the United Church expresses this truth as follows: “In life, in death and in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God!”