Giving Thanks Even When It Hurts

Last Friday I shadowed a moving van for nearly 700 kilometres. My newlywed daughter and her husband had packed their belongings and headed to Alberta to further her education, and my husband and I accompanied them to lend a helping hand.

The journey was an emotional one for me. I rejoiced in my daughter’s excitement at the newness she was experiencing—marriage, a new home, new city, and new season of further education. At the same time, every kilometre covered created more geographical distance between us, and that realization made me sad.

A rainbow and thanksgiving

Rain misted the windshield off and on for miles. At one point, a rainbow appeared. It stretched from horizon to horizon and formed an arc over the moving van before me—a promise of new beginnings and of God’s faithfulness.

The scene brought tears to my eyes and prompted a prayer of thanksgiving:

“Thank You, Father, for going before the newlyweds and preparing a place for them in their new city. Thank You for providing a basement suite with a Christian couple living upstairs. Thank You for promising to provide for their financial needs as my daughter attends university and her hubby looks for a job. Thank You, God, for Your faithfulness in all things.”

My sadness didn’t disappear, but the heaviness lifted as I expressed gratitude to the Lord for His goodness and love.

Giving thanks in the hard place

“Giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me,” says the Lord (Psalm 50:23).

Giving thanks is easy when everything in life is in order, our needs are met, our future is secure, and our health is good. It’s not so easy when life hurts. But that’s when expressing gratitude is most important. Doing so in the hard places reveals our willingness to trust God and to rest in His sovereignty.

Here’s a quote I came across recently. Read it line by line and savor its truth:

“To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us – and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him. Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference.” (Thomas Merton)

Be blessed today, my friend.