It took me a long time to be able to thank God for everything in my life. The good and the unpleasant. It surprised me how powerful it really is. It spoke to me what being thankful
really means. It reinforces just how important it is to give everything to God.
When you are facing problems and hard situations that seemingly never end, the last thing you want to do is thank God for all the horrible things you are dealing with. When my husband and I had been married for only a few years, we went through a period of about 5 years where it was one horrific event after another.
We lost 3 immediate family members in about 6 months’ time, my husband lost his job and was out of work for a year, we had to sell our home, and then we had to move away to another part of the country when work did become available. I lost contact with my son and didn’t know where he was for over a year.
I remember at the beginning of this time I would say: “I got this. Not to worry. We’ll get through this. It’ll be fine. It’s all going to work out.” When things didn’t change and things continued to come against us, my declarations were less confident. I became more uncertain.
A few years into this nightmare of never-ending hardships, I began to pray: “God, do you know what we’re going through? Do you know everything we’re dealing with?” Still no change. Finally, after another long stretch of time, I gave in. I changed the way I approached the Lord and began praying: “God, I know when I get up today bad things are going to happen just as they did yesterday. I know that this is going to be another day just like all the other days. Lord, I don’t know what is going to come against us next, but I thank you for what you are teaching me. I thank you for all things because we will be able to see you move in all of this.”
I thanked Him for the food we had, the electricity, our apartment, our jobs, our cars and gas to drive them, and especially for His faithfulness towards us. I thanked him that even though I didn’t know where my son was, He did and I prayed for his safety.
I continued to press into God’s love and promises and thanked Him for everything. We came out of this season of storms and hardships and entered into a period of peace and rest. I’ll never forget how thanking Him for everything softened my heart and allowed Him to work in my life. I fully understood Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.”
Once I began releasing things to the Lord, He was able to come in and do the things that needed to be done. He provided jobs, resources, and peace. As we prepared to move to San Antonio, the company that my husband agreed to work for paid for our entire relocation. Eventually, I was able to reconnect with my son and we were reunited. The major hits stopped, and we were able to rest and regroup.
We still deal with hard situations but my perspective on how to get through them has changed. I now give thanks for everything every day.
Whatever you are dealing with, remember God is your everything. He provides, protects, and is your peace in the storm. He is as close as your thoughts and prayers. Being thankful in all things keeps your heart aligned with His.
Try being thankful in all things.
You’ll be blessed that you did!
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