Here we are in the week between two major “thanks events” – Veterans Day and Thanksgiving Day.  We have many reasons to be thankful for our veterans, and plenty to thank God for on our traditional day for it.  But what about the in-betweens?

I mean, the first is about the sacrifices made for us so that we may enjoy peace and freedom of a sort.  The second is about the material abundance with which God has blessed us, especially here in the US.  There are those with needs around us, to be sure, but we have enough and more to provide for everyone, if we are willing and careful to share.

So, for what do we express our thanks in this in-between week?  There are many, many blessings we can name, from the sunrise and breath of a new day to the unfathomable gift of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.  I enjoy the practice of finding something for which we’re thankful for every day in November.  I want to suggest, however, that there is a whole class of circumstances for which we generally choose not to thank God – our hardships.

In Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonian church, he attempts to encourage them to continue their walk with Jesus in spite of some terrible circumstances.  The persecution these new Christians (most less than a year old in their faith) endured is horrendous.  Some had already been persecuted to death (implied in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15), and those remaining were suffering significant trials.  Paul tells them, among other things, to rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).  It is important that Paul doesn’t tell them that they need to know why, but that they are to be thankful regardless.

I am guilty of always wanting to have a reason to give thanks.  I have become quite creative when it comes to giving the Father thanks for things, finding all kinds of obscure rationalizations why.  But this year, I have begun to thank Him for stuff, especially stuff I don’t like, without having a reason.  Oh, I am by no means perfect.  I tend to avoid even mentioning things I don’t like in my prayer life, except to ask God to do something about them occasionally.  That’s not the command Paul gave to these persecuted Christians.  “Give thanks in all circumstances.”  It doesn’t come with caveats or exceptions.

As I’ve begun to practice it, I realize that thanking our Lord for things that we don’t like takes a fair bit of faith – trusting our heavenly Father to bring thank-worthy results from circumstances that we otherwise don’t understand.  We have to thank Him in faith, expecting Him to do His work even without our recognition.  That’s a tough type of prayer.  It’s especially so when we endure difficult circumstances for which there is little or no apparent reason or benefit.  In the hard times, we seem to be driven to ask, “Why?!”  Why me?  Why this person?  Why not something or someone else?  I guess we want to have a reason so we have something on which to hang our hope.

There are some whys that don’t have an answer, this side of eternity.  I believe our heavenly Father wants us to trust Him with these things just as much as the things we understand, for which we have clear answers, or which go according to our desires.  Perhaps more.  Part of that is expressed in thanking Him for the mysterious, or downright frustrating.

So, this week particularly, I’m challenging myself to thank God for things I don’t like, circumstances I wish were different, and stuff I just don’t understand.  I’m even going to try NOT to tell Him why I’m thankful.  And I’m still thanking Him for all the stuff I like and things I’m glad about, too, especially His love, grace, and generosity shown to me through Jesus. 

It will be an adventure.  Join me, if you will.  Let’s see what our Father does with us and in us because of it.