On Being Thankful

Dear Children,

Canadian Thanksgiving is upon us, and it is here that I desire to impart some lessons I'm learning at this stage in my life.

It is my hope and prayer that both of you will be thankful individuals. What I am talking about goes beyond using manners to being truly grateful to God in spite of the circumstances you see yourself in. However, before I unpack this idea, let me share your recent thankfulness lists as described by yourself!

My daughter, you are thankful to God for:
  1. Sun
  2. Clouds
  3. Books
  4. Doctors
  5. Bags
  6. Toy Hammer
  7. Bibles
  8. Pictures
  9. Spring
  10. House
My son, you are thankful to God for:
  1. Frogs
  2. Giraffes
  3. Cows
  4. Trees
  5. Daddy
  6. Fan
  7. Clock
  8. Books
  9. Mommy
  10. Your sister
I find it fascinating how your lists are different, except for "Books", which you both enjoy thoroughly. A., your list focuses on elements of nature, such as sun, clouds, and the season of Spring. You also appreciate doctors, especially since you are recovering from an injured wrist. I am grateful you are thankful for the Bible! That is encouraging! And you do like bags, so you can fill them full of stuff! Though, I am not sure why you mentioned the hammer...? J., your list highlights creatures such as frogs and giraffes. You also mention mechanical items such as fans and clocks. And you appreciate the people in your life! How beautiful!

Keeping a thankfulness list is a good exercise in appreciating the gifts around you. Yet in church today, we were encouraged to go beyond that. After all, one can rattle off a large list of items and not be truly thankful in spirit. Also, things and people can be taken away from us, such as the example of Job in the Bible. When this happens, will we still have a spirit of thankfulness?

So, how does this spirit of thankfulness develop? I think part of the answer lies in these verses: "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus," 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Usually when we, as Christ followers, look at these verses, we focus on what we should be doing. (1) I need to be joyful, so I will __________; (2) I need to pray continually, so I will  __________; (3) I need to be thankful, so I will __________. Notice the "I wills" in the resolutions? I don't think that is the way it was intended to be. Instead, the above verses end with "...for this is God's will [what one wishes or has determined shall be done] for you in [in, by, with] Christ Jesus.

Let's look at 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 in the here and now. What if your Nana and Nani said to me, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is our will for you, Rain, in your husband S." Okay, I know it is a bit sacrilegious to transpose a collection of verses as such. However, I am trying to make a point. What if your Nana and Nani said that (they didn't, don't worry, you Daddy isn't Divine with a capital "D")? What would that mean? That would mean your Daddy would be the provider of my joy, my desire to pray, and my ability to give thanks. Wow! What a Daddy!

Okay, this verse wasn't talking about your Daddy, but Christ Jesus, the author and finisher of our Faith. He, Christ Jesus, our Saviour and our Lord, is supposed to be the provider of my joy, my ability to pray continually, and my incomprehensible desire to give thanks no matter what circumstance I find myself in. How amazing! I don't need to be "Super Me" and try to accomplish God's will for me by myself. Rather, God's grace is freely available to transform me.

Here is an enlightening quote that sums up my thoughts:

When you stop wasting your spiritual energies to maintain this false Super You and start using those energies in cooperation with the Holy Spirit for true growth, you will find yourself free in Jesus Christ, liberated from false oughts and shoulds, freed from the approval and disapproval of other people, freed from that awful condemnation of the performance gap between what you're trying to be and what you really are. What is it that fills in the performance gap? I have good news for you: From the cross of Jesus Christ, all the perfections of Jesus, God's true Superman, are given to you as a free gift of His grace, and these more than fill in the gaps of your life.*

I hope and pray that you will embrace God's grace for your gaps. Happy Thanksgiving, my dear children.

Love,
A Super Mom in God's Eyes

*Taken from Healing for Damaged Emotions: Recovering from the Memories That Cause Our Pain (1991) by David A. Seamands, pg.110.

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