Give Thanks in All Circumstances

1 Thessalonians 5: 17- 18 says "Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances." This can be pretty hard at times can't it? What about when we are going through hard times? Do we have to feel thankful during these times? I have a dear friend who has a broken heart from a broken relationship this Thanksgiving weekend. Is it really possible to feel thankful??? The Bible doesn't say, be thankful when things are going well and life is good. It is pretty clear isn't it?... give thanks in All Circumstances. Now I don't think that this means we have to be thankful for the hard things we go through...I really don't think that feeling is part of being a human. BUT through the hard times, perhaps we can find things to be thankful for. Cheering our own souls up as we give thanks to God for He really is good.

During this Thanksgiving holiday weekend we often find ourselves making a list and checking it twice of things we are thankful for. I've been trying to live in an attitude of thankfulness to God. Besides all of the "obvious" thankful stuff... here are some of the things I've been able to look back on today and recall that I gave thanks during my "attitude of thankfulness."

• I'm thankful for my co-workers who make my life so much easier at work by working together. I'm thankful I can ask Randa if I'm being mean (about a difficult pain decision) and she gives me her honest opinion.
• I'm thankful for an Internet site that helps me make difficult math calculations when working with high doses of pain medications (oh so thankful!)
• I'm thankful that my family isn't traveling this holiday weekend, and that family is coming to us.
• I'm thankful that I'm not at the grocery store today with the mad rush for last minute things (I've been there 3 times this week already!).
• I'm thankful for a washing machine and dryer that work and are dependable when I keep them oh so busy.
• I'm thankful we are "rich enough" to serve turkey tomorrow...one of my patients told me she wasn't.... (I really didn't know that was part of the definition of being rich).

Those are just a few examples. I hope and pray that you all will be able to find special things... little things... to feel thankful for this holiday.