November 19, 2007

• On Thankfulness

  
  Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 
  I Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NASB)

  I was musing today about thankfulness. I wasn’t in such a mood as would
  have been called “thankful” but I knew that the Lord Himself has called
  us to such things. But I was wondering why I didn’t feel so thankful. I
  picked out three things (out of many) that seemed to be the most
  troublesome lately and considered them.

  • Could it be the huge increase of work that I’ve been experiencing in
    the last few months and the weariness that is coming from it be the
    cause for not feeling thankful?

  • Could it be the concern that I have for my children as they are making their way into the world, now doing so by themselves be doing it as well?

  • How about all the crazy stuff trying to break or malfunction at what
    seems to be precisely the time that would cause the most frustration?

  As I look over this short list of things that have been bugging me for
  weeks now, whether I’m thankful or not depends on how I want to view
  these things. Notice that I said, “how I want to view these things”.
  I’ll bet if you take a moment and consider that you’ll see that the
  things on that list aren’t necessarily bad.

  On the first one, concerning the huge increase in work and the
  weariness it certainly would help to tell you that I prayed for work at
  a time when things weren’t doing so well. Over two years ago, things were getting lean and I was about to have two kids in college at the same time. Shortly thereafter in one of those rare things that
  has happened at a couple of odd times in my life, I had a dream; one
  that would tell me much about what my ministry activity would be for a
  while to come and afterward there would come a time of working, tilling
  the ground, preparing for new growth. It was such an odd dream but, at
  this point, if one understands the meaning of each of the points in it, the Lord was letting me know He had a plan for me and the course
  it would take. I am in the last phase of that dream where He had a
  special assignment for me and then I would resume my secular work
  again. It is happening exactly along those lines and if you’ve ever
  been preparing a field for planting, you would know that the work I’m
  doing has nothing to do with soil but everything to do with planting a
  brand new business in the area. Folks, I am tired but I am not unhappy.
  I may be sometimes overwhelmed by all the crazy things that hardly give
  me a moment to think but I’m not at all at wit’s end. I see God’s hand
  in it and it is good.  I am thankful.

  How about those kids? I wonder sometimes how Bee and I made it when we
  were young but the Lord brought us to where we are now.  The same is
  happening with our kids. Yet it is sometimes hard to stand to the side and watch them, with fear and
  trembling (them and me), do this thing we call “life”.  Yet in the
  midst of it all, I see the Lord’s hand again only this time as a
  spectator.  Then I see that the Lord is taking care of them, too. Sure,
  they are struggling for their independence from home but it is
  certainly good to see them again when times like the holidays come
  around and we all get to enjoy each other again for just a little
  while.  Bee and I have worked a long time to see them stand on their own and every once in a while it gets a bit tough when they encounter a
  disappointment but am I beside myself? No, I am thankful. I realize
  that I am not going to be here forever and the Lord can help them
  better than I so its better for them to trust in Him than me.

  How about all that stuff that breaks or things that malfunction? Its
  been rather strange but we have had an awful lot of things breaking
  here lately and things in need of repair and we didn’t even mistreat or
  neglect them. Now I’m pretty handy and can fix a lot of things but I’m
  simply not a fix-it person so enjoying keeping things running like fine
  running clock is not my thing. I’m more into making something work right the
  first time and make it robust so it doesn’t require a lot of attention… and then take care of it
  properly every once in a while.  So with all this uproar am I
  frustrated? Actually, for a moment, yes, I am. Then the realization
  that much of the stuff we have isn’t all that much of a help and causes
  us more work than ease. I am seeing the practical reasons for living as
  simply as possible but not too simply, choosing wisely on the things
  that I have which are supposed to make life a little better and rejecting the things that are just something
  that creates work and distraction away from what the Lord has for me to
  do in life. I am learning to be content in much and in little. That
  really isn’t such a bad thing, you know. Godliness with contentment is
  great gain. Thank you, Lord, for teaching me that.

  Now as I think of the family and friends that will be meeting with us
  on Thanksgiving Day to share our lives together again for just a little
  while, I am thankful for each and every one who the Lord has brought
  into my life to make it so I don’t have to walk life’s road alone and I
  can be a part of theirs’ as well. Oh, to be sure, we plan to have a lot
  of good food on the table but I can guarantee there will be more than
  feasting on a meal going on there.  Thank you, Lord, for these people
  and how you’ve used them to encourage me in my life. Help me do the
  same for them.

  As I consider these things, I now understand why the Lord tells us to
  be thankful. It is not only to acknowledge Him for His goodness toward
  us but it does something else vital for each one of us. Have you ever
  thought what it would mean to be unthankful? I’m sure you’ve met an
  unthankful person. What were they like? What would their ministry be
  like or their outlook on life? It would be faithless and pessimistic,
  self-centered, and greedy. The Lord doesn’t want that kind of life for
  people. He wants them to have hope and faith looking ahead. He doesn’t
  want us to take the downward spiral. He wants us to “look up” and
  smile.  Thankfulness is a choice. It is a choice to consider all things
  joy, even the very tough ones because, in the end, God is good.

  Habakkuk makes it clear that thankfulness is truly a choice…

  
  Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines,
  
  Though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food,
  
  Though the flock should be cut off from the fold  and there be no cattle in the stalls,
  
  Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
  
  The Lord GOD is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,
  
  And makes me walk on my high places.
  For the choir director, on my stringed instruments. 
  Habakkuk 3:16-19 (NASB)

  Even when everything seems to be going wrong, thankfulness is a choice.

  Now there’s one last thing… thank you for stopping by my blog… and I mean that.  Mr.Vee

  • 1:06 am
  • 5 Comments