After passing my senior year from high school, I had the privilege of working as a teacher before I’d joined grad school due to financial issues. I am being thankful for what I saw here among the young learners. Their gratitude or thankfulness can be seen in the lighting up of their face, especially their eyes, when I’d teach new things in science and mathematics.
Being thankful is a state of mind showing our gratitude either in words or our deeds. These elementary students had given me pleasant time spent with. They may or may not say thank you but their appearance says it all. Their eyes lighting up to a new knowledge is a sign of gratitude. We’re happy even when we don’t say a thing.
Almost throughout the year of my studying, I have been blessed to have been supported by relatives who are working together for a cause. As for me I’ll go wherever and whenever it takes if there’s someone to support my study even today.
While my parents have number of mouths to feed with irregular income in the country side, I’d switched place to place as per their guideline. My aunt and my uncle’s houses are my different stop at different time and need.
In every place of my stay, I am taken as a son to them. Here I wanted to emphasized more on the ‘taken as a son or being called a son’ in later part of this writing. I am really blessed to have a family of their kinds and quality; who truly care and love each other. Well, I’m really thankful indeed.
For once who have been in the situation, of helplessness, every act of kindness and compassion are still valued and always cherished. It’s the experience of life where the face of God could be seen. While they might not noticed I used to take pride in having them as my father’s siblings.
Like many, we vouched for independence yet dependent on God. I always wanted to be independent of my needs till the time since I could remember. Living under authority is one thing we have to learn. We can be self-dependent under God, if you know what I mean.
Now, I once read of a refugee, whose parents had passed away, adopted by a wealthy person from the West. It was an article about their meeting with his long lost sister after many years. How blessed is he! If not, he’d be counted among many of the starved children.
There are reasons for us to be thankful today.
Thankful Moses:
Circumstances led Moses to grow up in the house of the Pharaoh. He was blessed by God to acquire the best knowledge of the time. Although I cannot say with certainty how it must have been living in foreigner’s house as he lived away from his parents. It must have been lonely and melancholic at times.
Yet God had a purpose in his life. He was trained to be a leader; serving the people of God. He had seen miracles nobody did in his later life. Moses walked with God; his people, and even meet him.
Moses’ thankfulness was recorded when God delivered them from the hand the Egyptians. In Exodus 15 we can read of the song exalting God for what he did. For God had sided them as he had promised; he had seen in his eyes how worthy is the Lord that he called them his people.
Thankful Children of God:
What a privileged it is to be called the children of God. And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1) Being called the children of God is only because of his grace. Christ paid the price of our sins on the cross and purified us just as he is pure.
We are not simply someone known by God or vice versa. He loves, saves, cares, and provides our needs according to his wisdom. Remember when I am very happy to have uncles and aunt who love me, in this earth, it is more worthy of showing my gratitude to my creator who called me son.
In that way, he took care of me. And being caring me doesn’t mean free from any kind of harmful deceit of the evil one. I had to take part in keeping my relationship with him; freeing up my heart for him. Other than all the blessings we can see with our naked eyes, the status of being called the children of God means the world to me, as it settles my eternal life too.
Thankful for Everything:
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” wrote the apostle Paul to the Thessalonians. (1 Thess. 5:18)
Being thankful for everything or all circumstances is far too wide an advice to practically follow it. When we’re in circumstances which is beyond we can handle we cannot simply give thanks. There are times when it is hard to find hope in the least.
Once I wrote in some of my own pages: “When counting for all the blessings you had received, better begin with those blessings money can’t buy, then you’ll know the amount of blessings you really received.” Then you’ll be always thankful.
When you’re in the room, isolated, gearing yourself for going through rough part of your life, we must be still thankful. What we don’t understand now; in the hope of understanding its purpose later, we’re still possesses a thankful attitude.
I’m being thankful for the different types of waves in my life. It is the waves whether good or bad, if it is sent by God, keeps my life worth living. The harsh waves made me realized the gentle side of life. When the waves gave up; there’d be no meaning for living as that would mean I’m prepared for eternity.
Once I’m about to enter the Operation Theater for which most of the outcome after the surgery are positive but I’m certain I’d be fine. In that moment of abject helplessness I have the Lord to rely upon, which makes me thankful to him.
Thankfulness:
In being adopted as the children of God, I know his mighty hand is with me even when I’m alone. I know he had his purpose of me letting to go through all the pains and suffering in my life. And I can wait in peace till I realized or his purpose get served.
Going back some decades ago, let me say something strange here, I would not have to struggle that much if had known that I’d be still unemployed at this age, although with a purpose. But in the years of being different place and circumstances help me to learn more about life and its value.
Thus for everything we must be thankful although we may not discover the purpose while in the deep water or in this moment yet.
I’m being thankful for the people in my life
I’m being thankful for the pain and suffering
I’m being thankful for the comfort in my grief
I’m being thankful for the compassion of God
I’m being thankful for the waves of living
I’m being thankful for all the caring people
I’m being thankful for becoming the Children of God
I’m being thankful for a new birth into the Living Hope
