GIVE THANKS

I am going to share with you what may be the most difficult thing required of us when we are suffering: give thanks. You may think that I am out of my mind, do not understand what you are going through, and are ready to stop reading, but let me explain. In May of 2016, my 18 year old son passed away. As I lay in my bed the next night, I “heard” God ask me, “How are you going to grieve?” I was immediately reminded of my grandmother’s funeral 11 months prior. She was in her eighties, loved God, and had generations of her legacy. It was easy to see the beauty of the life that she lived and to release her into the presence of God. God was presenting me with the opportunity to be a Successful Sufferer.

My response to God’s question was, “I will grieve in a way that honors You”. I knew that in the same way that I was able to celebrate my grandmother’s life, I would celebrate my son’s life. What I was saying to God is that I trust Him. I wanted God to receive glory from this tragic situation and a key to that would be my response. Oftentimes, we have a vision for our children’s lives: go to college, get married, have kids, take care of you when you are older. Suddenly, all of that was gone and I had to look to God. I chose not to look at what I loss but what I had with my son: 18 years. I had 18 years that allowed me to stretch and grow as a person because my son was in my life. I understand that I cannot add another second to my own life, so I give thanks for the time that I had with my son.

In the Book of Exodus, the children of Israel disregarded all of the miracles around them when things did not turn out the way that they wanted. God had delivered them from Egypt with His mighty hand. He parted the Red Sea, allowed them to pass on dry land, and drowned their pursuing enemies in the same waters. Yet when they were hungry, they despised their freedom, and said that they would have rather died in Egypt (in slavery) where they had plenty of food.

Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”  (Exodus 16:2-3)

Learning to give thanks during your trials does not mean that you have to ignore or minimize your feelings. It is about bringing your feelings to God, instead of allowing your feelings to distance you from Him. Of course, I cried and grieved for the loss of my son (and still have moments). Miraculously through the tears, before I know it, I am worshipping and thanking God. It is like many of the Psalms when the writer begins with his troubles but before he finishes he is praising our God. No matter what you are going through there is always a reason to thank God. First Thessalonians 5:18, In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

How often do you focus on the problem and not the praise?

Continue this series with Part VI Self-Inflicted Suffering

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Copyright 2020 T.L. Lockley. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.