Give Thanks in ALL Things? Really? - Thanksgiving

Are we really supposed to be thankful in ALL things? Seriously?

God's Word says,
"Give thanks IN ALL circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."             - I Thessalonians 5:18

So does this mean when we go around the table at Thanksgiving, instead of saying we are thankful for our family, friends, food, health, etc.; We should say, "This year I am thankful for natural disasters, orphans in Africa, and suicide bombers?" 

Since Thanksgiving is coming up, this week I was feeling guilty for not feeling very grateful for ALL things including lice, throw-up, and seizures. Then I realized that God's will for me was just to have a grateful heart IN all circumstances not FOR all circumstances.

Last Thanksgiving, I remember being surprised when my sister, Mandy, said she was thankful for her eyesight. This was an odd answer since it was not a typical Thanksgiving answer, and since Mandy had recently lost her peripheral vision.

Here, Mandy was perfectly demonstrating how to, "Give Thanks in ALL circumstances."
1. She was trusting in Christ that He had a purpose in this new difficulty she was facing.
2. Also, instead of focusing on the negative that she had lost sight,
    she found a new appreciation and gratefulness for the sight that she still had left.  
    She has always reminded me a little bit of Polly Anna
     (- finding the good in bad situations and a little bit of a goody-two-shoes:))

A few weeks after Thanksgiving last year, Mandy gave birth to her seventh child, and we found out that Mandy's eyesight problems were caused by a tumor behind her eye, which led to brain surgery in January, which led to a damaging stroke and almost death, which led to a very difficult year for us here on "The Compound".

However, looking back, for every extreme difficulty, I can see:
1. not only God's hand of Providence (He is in perfect control with a purpose for all things), but also
2. an opportunity for a renewed thankfulness for many blessings that we sometimes take for granted.

When overwhelmed with daily difficulties,
 it is hard to find ways to truly be thankful IN ALL circumstances. 
If you are having trouble, try:

1.  Prayer,
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication with THANKSGIVING let your request be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4: 6 & 7. 

2.  Playing "The Glad Game" - Putting a Positive Spin on your Problems.
Help your kids practice the essential skill of being thankful IN ALL things by using Pollyanna and her "Glad Game".  I was pleasantly surprised at how good my kids were at finding something good at just about any situation I could throw at them. (You can watch the whole 1960 classic on YouTube to learn more about the Glad Game.)

Have a Happy Thanksgiving! Try to surprise your family and friends by being GLAD about something different or difficult at your Thanksgiving table.