Does God Really Tell Us to Give Thanks in Everything?

Autumn is my favorite time of the year. Indian summer days turning to cold, crisp nights. Flaming hues of red, gold, and orange atop towering trees. Big, snuggly sweaters with that favorite pair of jeans. Hot tea with honey to sip late in the evening, curled up with a good book. Thick, creamy soups, bubbling on the stove top and served with warm, buttery rolls.

First days of school and football games. Costumes and candy, tricks and treats as October draws to a close. And of course, that heavenly scent of turkey, gravy, and nutmeg, woven together in a colorful quilt of Thanksgiving aromas.

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. Everyone came to our house on Thanksgiving. Happy chaos abounded in the kitchen as the turkey was carved, potatoes mashed, the gravy simmered. The ping-pong table was draped with sewn-together bed sheets, dish upon dish laid out, homemade name cards lovingly designed by my sisters and me (haphazard turkeys and pilgrims traced with crayons) placed by our "best" china: plastic Ronald McDonald plates (the only ones we had enough of for everyone!).

Family. Friends. Good food. Bounty.

And as that season approaches again this year, a still, small voice whispers:

Take time for thanks.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul writes, "in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." There is a part of that verse that I don't like very much: the word everything.

When things are going well - the bills are paid, everyone is healthy, the line at the bank is short, your favorite cereal is on sale - it is so easy to feel thankful. To express our gratitude.

But there are times in our lives when things do not go well at all. Clouds roll in and colder winds begin to blow. How does one give thanks then?

I recall a few years back when our basement flooded. It was the first summer morning that Mom (that would be me!) was going to be able to sleep in. Instead, I was awakened to my husband saying, "I am so sorry to wake you honey, but the basement is flooded."

As I shopvacced, as I moved furniture, as I carted off dripping cardboard boxes, that one sentence penned two thousand years ago became a mantra in my head.

In everything, give thanks.

What could there possibly be to be thankful for when one is removing approximately 90 gallons of water from one's family room?

First of all, it could have happened the very next week. We were scheduled to be out of town Monday through Friday. What a mess that would have been to come home to!

Second, we had three computers in our basement at that time: two in my home office and one in the family room. The water did not reach any of them.

Thirdly, my darling husband ran a candlelit bubble bath for me that night after that long day of clean-up. He even rubbed my sore tootsies and moisturized them!

Turned out there were a few things to be thankful for, even in the midst of 90 gallons of muddy water covering our basement floor.

In Psalm 9:1, the psalmist proclaims, "I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart". That word praise means "to give thanks". Praising God is not just telling Him how wonderful He is. It is thanking Him for His hand in our lives. It is an offering of gratitude to Him.

Oftentimes we will have to search, and search hard, for something we can be thankful for in very painful situations. We may cry out to God, "I don't understand! Where are You? How can I be thankful right now?"

My spouse has cancer!
My child has turned his back on You!
My best friend has betrayed me!
I've lost my job!

Peter tells us in his first epistle, "So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while" (1 Peter 1:6).

If I have learned anything over the past decade of my life, it is that pain brings us to the end of ourselves. As I think back to my own dark and stumbling times, I have to admit that I questioned everything that God had allowed to come to pass. And I certainly didn't feel thankful, let alone glad!

Oswald Chambers says in My Utmost for His Highest, "Sometimes God puts us through the experience and discipline of darkness to teach us to hear and obey Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and God puts us into "the shadow of His hand" until we learn to hear Him...pay attention when God puts you into darkness, and keep your mouth closed while you are there. Are you in the dark right now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? ...When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else once you are back in the light."

Today, as I look back, I can thank Him for those dark times. As I have crossed from the dark tunnel of despair, I have experienced this promise:

"After you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation" (1 Peter 5:10).

And in those dark places, I learned to sing!

Truly, the dark places are scary and lonely, and I was often angry and confused. It was not easy - and it will not be easy for you at times either. I am not trying to diminish the pain. This process will take time - sometimes a very long time.

But as a fellow sojourner, I can say with confidence that His promises are true, and He will restore beauty for ashes!

As you pull up to the feast this November, think of all the gifts He gives and be thankful. And know that even in the dark times, you can one day find thanks.

For He is also teaching you to sing.