Love the Unexpected

Thanksgiving looks a lot different for our family in 2023 than it did in 2022.

Last year at this time, I had been admitted to the hospital for severe swelling, 35 weeks pregnant with my twins. We spent the holiday weighing the pros and cons of risking an induction or opting for a planned C-section. We eagerly anticipated the arrival of our sweet babies, but the excitement was marred by the many concerns weighing us down.

In the midst of a hard season, we still had much to be thankful for. God was good and he was faithful. In our trials, we clearly witnessed his mercies toward us. The dearest of all was becoming the proud parents of two of the greatest kids in the world.

Still, it’s hard not to notice just how different this year has been. I’ve had a chance to enjoy the fall season. I’ve strolled around our neighborhood with my kids in tow, breathing in the crisp, cool air and watching the changing leaves. I’ve baked to my hearts content and indulged in the pumpkin scones, apple crisps and snickerdoodles without a care in the world for how it will impact my blood sugar. I’ve sat comfortably by the fireplace with a cozy cup of coffee first thing in the morning, watching my babies play. What a difference a year makes.

So, here I am, thinking about two vastly different circumstances that I’ve lived through in the last year. I admit that this year it’s easy to find things to be thankful for. But, the Bible doesn’t tell us to give thanks only in the times when it’s easy. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says:

“Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”

The author, Paul, knew a thing or two about hard circumstances. He wrote the book of Philippians from his prison cell. Not the most joyful place to be, or one that would inspire an aesthetically curated list of things to be thankful for. But like his encouragement in 1 Thessalonians, he writes these words to the Philippians:

“I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had not opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:10-13

What then is the secret to having a thankful heart in all circumstances? In our world today, this idea sounds ingenuine, maybe even impossible. When we hear someone going through something hard and listen to them talk about the ways that God has been good, sometimes our hearts react with a knee-jerk “Yeah right. Everything obviously isn’t good; just be honest about how you’re feeling.” Maybe we’d even be tempted to accuse them of “toxic positivity” – obsessing over positive thinking and pushing away any negative thoughts.

I’ve lived through both seasons in a relatively short period of time – when circumstances have been good and when they’ve been hard. What I’ve noticed is that true thanksgiving can exist in each. It’s not forced, and it doesn’t simply cast aside negative emotions in exchange for manufactured positive ones. Instead, a thankful heart feeds a deep, real, lasting joy that sustains in all circumstances.

Paul told us exactly how it was that he could face whatever trials came his way; it was through Jesus. He is the source of our gratitude, and also the one to whom we own all thanks.

1 Corinthians 15 says this:

“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 15:54-57

The impact of Jesus death and resurrection on the cross is astounding for us. We live in a broken world, a world that was broken by sin. There are hundreds of ways each day that we’re confronted by that brokenness. If there was no Jesus, it would be devastating in its hopelessness.

But there is Jesus. Jesus who took on the sin of the world and died as the perfect lamb of God. Jesus, who conquered death, and rose victorious. Jesus, against whom death no longer has any power. When we repent of our sin and acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, we receive the same victory over death. The hope and assurance of salvation can’t help but spark gratitude in the heart of a believer.

Why is it then, that this sometimes doesn’t seem like enough and we still struggle with discontentment in our lives? I remember when COVID hit, I really wrestled with this verse:

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

Hebrews 11:1

There were a lot of things I was hoping for during that time. I was hoping to someday get married and have children. I was hoping for COVID to end quickly and without taking anyone that I loved. But I knew that none of those things were guaranteed. They weren’t things I could be sure or certain of. What in life, if anything, could I realistically hope for?

In time, God spoke to my heart and I realized that the hope the author of Hebrews was referring to, wasn’t really about this life. There is nothing that I can point to in my life and say with absolute certainty “this will (or won’t) happen”. Except for one.

I can point to Jesus and say “he’s coming back.” I can point to Him and know with absolute certainty that my salvation is found in Him. When I can’t be certain of anything else, I can be sure of who He is and who I am in Him.

The big question for me then, was this: is Jesus really where I’m placing my hope?

Our eyes tend to focus on the things we want to see. Similarly, our hearts focus on the things that we hope for. When my heart was focused on uncertain things, it was easy for me to grow discontented. I was sure of what I hoped for – I just wasn’t sure it would actually happen.

When my heart was focused on Jesus – a sure foundation – it became easier to see the ways he was at work in my life. I knew that even when my circumstances were shaken, He would still be working and I would still have the hope of eternity. What an incredible comfort.

That’s not to say that I wouldn’t experience hard circumstances. It’s not to say that in those circumstances I wouldn’t feel sad, hurt, or question why we had to face that particular trial. But alongside those emotions, I had an abiding peace and gratitude for the things we’d been spared from and the things that were going right.

The key to a grateful heart has everything to do with Jesus and his work on the cross. But it starts with a person recognizing their need for a Savior – it’s only when we’ve made Him the Lord of our life that He can begin to do a transforming work in our hearts. It’s only through that saving grace that we can experience true thanksgiving. If that’s a prayer you’ve never prayed, then it will be the most important one you pray this Thanksgiving.

But sometimes as believers, we can still find it hard to find joy in the midst of the trials of this life and have a thankful heart in the circumstances we’re facing. If that’s where you find yourself today, then would you pray with me this Thanksgiving?

“Lord, I come to you today and my heart is heavy. I know that you are good. I know that your word promises that you will work all things for good, for those that are called according to your purpose. But I confess today that I’m having a hard time seeing the good in my circumstances. Jesus, please work in my heart to place you as the object of my hope. Open my eyes to the ways that you’re at work in my life and grow in me a sincere gratitude for what you’re doing. Help me to keep my eyes fixed on you. Thank you, Jesus, for the hope of salvation that I have in you. Amen”

"Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations" - Psalm 100