Practicing Thanksgiving

Tonight was our church Thanksgiving meal.

Our preacher calls it a "practice run."

Last year I went, but could not stay

This evening Ruth, Xavier and I went.

We shared a wonderful meal with dear friends.

It started me thinking about the evolution of Thanksgiving in my life.

When I was a child Thanksgiving was a one day celebration.

As I grew older and more mature thanksgiving became something I thought about more often than the fourth Thursday of November.

When I read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 for the first time I struggled.

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Rejoice ALWAYS? 

Does God know what He is asking?

Pray CONTINUALLY?
Who has time for that? How will I get anything done?

Give thanks in ALL circumstances? 

That is impossible. This must be a bad translation.

For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Well if it is God's will for me, that means I have to do it.

I began to practice these clear instructions.

Haltingly at first.

Wrestling with how to do it.

Slowly it became less foreign, less "forced".

It became something that was more natural than not.

When 30 days of Thanksgiving on FB became a "thing" I gladly joined, posting something I was thankful for every day in November.

The next year I tried to share something a little while longer.

It isn't that I wasn't thankful for something every day,

I simply was not intentional about sharing.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 was a passage I was mindful of. Privately.

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

When I was in the hall at the hospital while they were working on Bill this was one of the first passages that came to mind. So I dropped to my knees and began praying, focusing on each part:

rejoice always 

(Not sometimes, not when things are going your way, not when you feel like it. Always.)

pray without ceasing

(this was not hard to practice)

give thanks in all circumstances

(this was a little more challenging)

for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

(this was my motivation, my filter)

When the doctor came out and told me they were so sorry, there was nothing they could do, Bill was gone, that passage continued to be strong in my mind.  

November 1, 2014 I once again started the 30 days of thanks posting. Bill had only been gone 63 days. Some days focusing on finding things to share was challenging. By November 30 I knew this was a good daily spiritual discipline for me. I do not always "feel" like rejoicing, or praying or being thankful, but obeying keeps me from getting sucked into allowing my emotions to dictate my attitude and my choices. So I continue daily to share something I am thankful for. 

The truth is, in Christ, there really is always a reason to rejoice-I am His and no one can take that away. Being aware of His presence makes praying natural. And I am firmly convinced there is always, always, always something to be thankful for. Sometimes you just have to look a little harder.

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

I have found that practicing thanksgiving is good for my soul.