A Cup of Thankfulness: Staying Thankful in the Midst of Difficulties

A Cup of Thankfulness

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Staying Thankful in the Midst of Difficulties

The holidays were truly a wonderful gift from God this year. However, things did not go as I had planned or hoped. It is amazing how God can take unwanted events and reshape them into something to treasure. Without going into great detail, it was my first Christmas without my children. And though I was heartbroken, I found myself filled with gratitude at the opportunity to spend extra time with my husband's mom and dad. I first had to take a deep long look at the pride in my heart over my children wanting to do something other than spend time with their fun and awesome mom, LOL! Once I was able to get over myself, I could look at the other opportunities God was placing before me and be joyful for my children who were having fun doing their thing. It certainly wasn't my plan, but God's plan has yet to disappoint me, so this time I was able to submit to His will and trust Him with all the details. He knows exactly what I need to grow and He has plans to use every inch of my life for His purpose. He also has a plan for my children. He loves them more than I ever could.
And how great the blessings have been. 

It is sometimes hard to know when to press in to take action and when to step back and let God work out the details. I'm one who doesn't want to be guilty of being lazy, so I tend to overdo. But I was recently reminded that God doesn't need my help in pretty much most situations. This being one of those, was the perfect example of stepping back, trusting God and letting Him work out the details. In the mean time, I was able to honestly look at my own pride, soften my heart to open to something else and experience God's plan at that time. So I wasn't actually doing nothing. Instead I was looking at the condition of my heart, which I find an essential and challenging task at times. And when I reconnected with my children, I had held onto nothing, so I was able to love without bitterness.

When I go through trials that seem unbearable or heartbreaking, I remind myself of the story of Joseph, Job and Jesus (not in that order). These are also my go-to-stories when people ask how God can allow bad things to happen. In the stories of Joseph and Job, God permitted family members to betray one another, Joseph was thrown into a well, sold into slavery, accused of something he didn't do and imprisoned for it. Job lost his children, all his possessions and his health. Both men were honorable men at the beginning and both men stayed true to God even though their life became truly unbearable. In the end, they were both vindicated and blessed beyond measure. The story of Jesus is the ultimate example as he was betrayed, accused, imprisoned, tortured and killed. His humble and gentle heart prevailed and His Father in heaven raised him up to reign as Lord over all of creation. 

We are not promised to have a smooth and easy life and even through our best efforts and integrity, life can still be incredibly difficult. But God promises, in Deuteronomy 31:6,
to never leave us nor forsake us. He is true to His word.

When you have a moment, read Genesis 45. It is Joseph's response to his brothers after all they had done to him. Joseph truly bloomed where he was planted. He was a blessing even in prison. If you find yourself in a kind of a prison with oppression, false accusations, mistreatment and the like, I pray the story of Joseph will encourage you to seek God more fully and His plan for your heart and for your life. It does not mean that we don't seek a better, healthier or more just situation, but when our efforts continually lead to a closed door, God may have opened another door
leading to blessings beyond measure. 

I pray you will be blessed with thankfulness no matter where you are planted.

~ thankfully ~

Ashley