Thankfulness isn't always an easy response. It is easy to be thankful for the material things as well as the things that make life easy and happy. The past few years I have learned to give thanks for even the hard things...that is where true joy has been found in my life. Oh, I readily give thanks for the easy fun things, just like any one else, but readily giving thanks for the deep dark things in life (no, I am not referring to chocolate...LOL) is something that I believe has to be learned. At least in my life it had to be learned. Many of you know that I have often been using the phrase "Count it all joy" which comes from James 1:2. It has become my life motto. A few of you that are close to me even know WHY I have chosen that phrase in my life because you walked that deep dark path with me. There was, not too long ago, a very deep pain in my heart. It was ripping me up inside. It was a pain far greater than any physical pain I have ever experienced and it lasted for a couple years. I was to the point of crumbling when I heard that still small voice of my Savior say "do not fear. I am with you, even in the valley of the shadow of death I am with you. Do not worry about tomorrow because sufficient for today are the tasks you need to care for." It was a time of growing in faith and in trust that God would deal mightily and would provide the grace I needed to keep on keeping on. He had asked me to walk a path that was hard and that took full surrender to His will to keep walking. Sometimes every moment of every day I found myself saying "do whatever it takes to grow me, Lord. I trust you." God has indeed proven Himself faithful. I have not thrown in the towel and given up nor do I have plans to do so. Recently I was visiting with a friend who was struggling and I shared with her this journey that the Lord had led me on. Her response was "Ruth, I had no idea you were struggling so much. I would look at you and see Christ love. You would always encourage me whenever we had time together." That, my friends, made me smile. I am so thankful that even in the pit of despair, people saw Christ in me. That was all His doing because if it weren't for Him, I would have definitely been spreading doom and gloom to everyone who crossed my path.
With Thanksgiving upon us, I have been granted the opportunity to look back and say with my heart that I am thankful for that dark path. I have come to know my Savior more through the journey. What a privilege to have such an opportunity. Seriously! So I am sharing my heart because I know that there may be someone reading this who is hurting and struggling to keep on trusting. It will get better. There will be relief. For now, just hang on to the promises. Read His word. Tell Him how you feel. Surrender it all to Him. Find grace for the journey. You can count it all joy!
"Count it all joy, my brothers,
when you meet trials of various kinds."
James 1:2 (ESV)
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