“Dear Lord, my daddy is getting sick….and I give thanks to you.”
Dear Lord, please heal the head of my daddy..and I give thanks to you.”
Dear Lord, please let his medicine work, I’m afraid now…I give thanks to you…his head is in too much pain…and I give thanks to you.” I somehow sat up and manage to swallow my mouth-dissolving medicine. Then, I lie down again because I’m afraid it may get worse.
It’s her tower falling for my daughter. Her fortress crumbling; the one she puts all her hope even if all kinds of calamities may come. The hands that will rescue her is getting numb. And he is asking for help to her, for now. The circumstances seem senseless to her. Our father are the strongest and the mightiest under God during our childhood days. She prayed on…
Dear God,…. we’re alone (we’re alone at home)..I’m frightened…( tears slowly flowing down her soft cheeks, which always smile otherwise)..and I give you thanks.
My eyes slowly getting hazy, I can see her face getting very much distraught. She touches my head, rubbing my head gently with her soft hands. She picked up my phone trying to call someone for help but her teary eyes blocked her sight.
Over and over again she continued… “Dear God, my father is sick..(weeping).. and I give thanks to you, in Jesus’ name!”
She might lack words in her prayer but she did have enough faith in her heart, which connects her words to the Lord. She’s only four-years-old and very young to handle such situations. However, when her poor father got sick it was only her or her brother who can pray to God for him if their mother is at work. Children are a gift from the Lord.
“Come here now my brave girl, nothing worse will happen. Our God hears your prayer, I’ll be fine.”
When she comes I held her with my hand. Then, she picked up the phone dialing on her mother’s number telling what had just happened and that she need not worry.
It was an issue arising from my chronic illness. Having suffered chronic illness is a roller coaster ride in my walk of life. There are instances when your illness keeps you at bay in enjoying times with family and friends. However, there are also instances that are a reminder of appreciating what you have.
Giving thanks for all the things I had taken for granted is my weakness even though I know that I was under the consistent care of the Lord. When a prayer is filled with too many a list only for asking what I wanted, maybe I need to remind myself I am needing retrospection before the Lord.
Giving Thanks in All Circumstances:
Following his first letter and his final instructions to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul had included “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess. 5:18). He wrote; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Now, with the preceding and succeeding verses – Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Rejoicing is good for everyone but it’s difficult for a soul to rejoice always. Praying, although our way of communion with the Lord, we hardly pray when we feel we need nothing more. And third, giving thanks in all circumstances is an arduous task. But once we are in Christ Jesus it paves the way of giving thanks even in our unlikely situations.
When You Only Know How To give Thanks:
Wait, is that even possible? Is that even a prayer to only give thanks when you get distressed or deeply trouble? It can be, but not now, maybe some other time when we’re in comfortable circumstances, might be the best possible answer.
But my daughter did it; she reported the matter to the Lord God and give thanks in Jesus’ name!
It is a lesson we’ve learned on that fateful day. And the circumstances leading to it is not pleasing to anyone in the house or for someone who hears about it. Yet if God has a purpose in it he did it. And, it is my obligation to share it with you.
Give Thanks While You Can:
Many of us opinionated that our life can be better than what we got. And I agree with it that there are times I think my hard work did not pay off as much as I desired. There are also unwelcome circumstances which, I thought, hindered the trajectory of my life, which almost makes me veered offtrack in the walk of life.And I saw no immediate reason to give thanks. But they are the instances making me realized the way of giving thanks to God.
However, in my stubborn being, there still are times I find it hard to gather word before the good Lord my God who leaded me this far. My lack of humility before the Lord makes my heart aching in pain. So, it’s better to learn the way of leading a thanksgiving life before the Lord. Don’t say in your heart that you want to see more about him. It can be dangerous.
The other day, I met a person who is about to lose his son. We talked for a while. It was hard to see the pain in his eyes. But in the midst of it, he makes it known that it is better to give thanks for the marvelous work of the Lord he had seen. I’m not saying that the person I met wasn’t contented before but his words ring a bell.
Anyone who wants to know more about the goodness of the Lord will see it. But the price to pay might be strenuous. So, it is better to give thanks and be contented with what we’ve seen.
Only Giving thanks:
In my interview with my grandfather, he revealed his favorite bible while serving as a servant in the garden of the Lord as an evangelist and a pastor throughout. It is,
“Take delight (only, and not on other things) in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalms 37:4 with my added emphasis)
God’s will is to take delight, make our heart merry in him through Christ Jesus. There is no room for fretting if we take delight and possesses a thankful mind towards him. We go through the pain or uncomfortable circumstances, however, by only giving thanks we can have a merry heart again His grace is sufficient; Give thanks in all circumstances!
While there are drought periods where it’s hard to find reasons for giving thanks, there are more reasons to it than some good times when we saw the guiding hand of the mighty Lord God. So, Give thanks!
