Give Thanks in All Things

Scripture tells us, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).  That isn’t always easy.  Some circumstances catch us off guard, frustrate us, or even cause fear.

Yesterday morning I went out to the garage and noticed that the rear tire of my car was completely flat.  At first, I was taken aback.  But almost immediately, I felt thankful that it happened at home and not while I was driving somewhere.  It had been raining heavily the day before, and the timing could have been far worse.

This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.  On two or three other occasions, I went out to start my car only to find that the battery was dead.  Each time, I had to replace it.  And each time, I was thankful it happened in the garage and not in a parking lot, on a highway, or late at night somewhere unfamiliar.

Moments like these remind me that giving thanks in all things doesn’t mean the inconvenience disappears.  It means recognizing God’s quiet protection and provision even in the inconvenience.  What could have become a much bigger problem was contained, and I was spared greater difficulty.

Sometimes gratitude isn’t about what did happen—but about what didn’t.  I cannot remember ever thinking that something as simple as a flat tire happening to me could make a difference in someone else’s life.  Yet God sees what we cannot.  Perhaps a young woman driving alone could have run over that same bolt, leaving her stranded late at night, vulnerable and afraid.  I don’t know, but God does.

I am a child of God, and He has everything under control in my life.  The things He allows me to go through, the inconveniences I face, may very well be His means of protecting someone else from greater harm or disappointment.  What feels like a minor frustration to me could be a divine intervention for another.

I thank the all-knowing God for His supernatural attention and for guiding my footsteps.  As Scripture reminds us, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way” (Psalm 37:23).

Giving thanks in all things means trusting not only what God allows, but also why He allows it, even when we never fully see the reason.

www.wordsfrompapa.blogspot.com

Written by,

Papa Boyd