Give thanks in/for all circumstances

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

Yesterday's message on the old hymn "It Is Well With My Soul" elicited a thoughtful, interesting response.  This is from a friend who has experienced her share (and, I would suggest, several other people's share) of physical pain in her life:

Here's the secret to all of this business of feeling that all is well, etc.  God tells us to "give thanks in ALL things", right?  Mercifully, He meets us half-way in this deal, as I discovered.

 

When I emerged from my coma last Spring, I felt an intense rush of "WHAT JUST HAPPENED???????? – and WHY DO YOU KEEP PICKING ON ME!!" 

 

Shame flooded over me almost as soon as the thought was half-formed.  And I then thought that I had better get on with being obedient, however grudgingly!  And I thanked God in this newest bit of trouble.  (Please note that He asks us to give thanks IN all circumstances – as opposed to FOR all circumstances.)  When I became launched onto the thankfulness business, God met me where I was.  He filled me with a flood of blessings and I had no trouble feeling extraordinarily thankful.

 

That's the secret of this giving thanks and acknowledging that all is well with our souls – I truly believe it.  And as in any obedience situation, the more we do it the easier it becomes!

As I discussed this response with Rosemary, my wife, she had a slightly different perspective.  She looks back on the adversity she has faced in life and, in hindsight, says she can even be thankful FOR those difficult times.  She can now see what God was doing, and is thankful for the results.  

Being able to be thankful FOR the pain an suffering comes about when we see a reason for it.  That may not happen in this lifetime.  Until that point, our attitude is to be thankful IN those times.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

Please, Lord, grant me the grace I need (and I sure need a lot of it), to bless Your Holy Name for everything that You send to me --- the supposed 'good' and supposed 'bad.' 

Please, Lord, grant me the grace I need to thank You as much for pain and suffering and things that appear to be 'bad,' as for all the things that appear to be 'good.' 

Please, Lord, grant me the grace I need to learn obedience and humility from accepting whatever You send to me in Your Infinite Wisdom, so that I might say with Job, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the Name of the Lord!"  

Amen.

(http://www.firebirdvideos.com/prayers/suffering.htm)

Bruce MacPherson  macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address.  Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.