Thankfulness

                “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  1 Th 5:18.  I have had this verse stirring in my heart for some time now.  It is probably because the Lord has been teaching me some things about being thankful in the midst of some “stuff” that has been going on in my life.  It is easy to be thankful when things are going well.  It is when we have opportunities to complain that our obedience to His word gets tested. 

                Recently I had a situation in my personal life where things had an opportunity to get very ugly.  I was angry, I was frustrated, and most of all, I wanted answers.  I needed action!  I was all set to start making phone calls and sending emails.  I was going to be a thorn in someone’s side until I got what I wanted.  Then I took a step back and inquired of the Lord.  His direction?  Do nothing.  What?  Nothing?  Lord, you created me to be a “doer” and you’re asking me to do nothing? 

                That was exactly what He was asking me to do.  As I left my prayer time with my new directive, I felt impressed to show my thankfulness to the five people involved in the situation.  I wrote out thank you notes to each of them, sent them off, and then did exactly what the Lord had told me to do.  Nothing.

                For about a month nothing changed.  Then one day I got a phone call.  The mountain had moved.  The awesome thing was that it was done in a way that only the Lord could have orchestrated.  I got exactly what I wanted, and I walked away with all five of my relationships intact.  Because the person who called me actually wanted the same thing I did all along, I was able to share with him how God had come through for me. 

                When I look back on the situation now, I can see how differently things could have been had I not taken the time to inquire of the Lord, follow His direction, and be thankful toward those five individuals.  Being able to be thankful in the midst of the storm really allowed me to put my full trust in the Lord to change the situation around for my good, and it allowed me to give Him the glory when He came through for me. 

                I think about the Israelites and what happened to them when they complained about the giants in the Promised Land.  Those giants needed to move, but rather than seeking the Lord about how to move them, they complained, and because of it, they were denied the very thing they had been after since they exited Egypt.  What if I had started complaining like they did and started trying to move the mountain on my own?  It could have been a huge disaster, but instead it turned into a victory!  “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  1 Co 15:57  No matter your situation, everyone has something to be thankful for.  Start thanking the Lord for the blessings He has already given you, and see if those mountains don’t start moving!