More than Turkey....Much to be Thankful For

It’s easy to count our blessings this time of year; everyone wants to remember what they are thankful for as they brown their bird, mash their potatoes, and cover their pies. I began making a literal list of all that I was thankful for and soon realized that the things I was “not” thankful for was a much shorter list…so I began to list those. But you know what? I soon realized that each thing I wasn’t thankful for has turned out to be a blessing in disguise; the lost job, the DUI two years ago, my daughters not speaking to me, the divorce, and my husband still not having a permanent position anywhere.

We need to count ALL of our blessings; not just the obvious ones. It is easy to be thankful for health, family, cars that run, jobs, and friendships. What about those blessings that are more disguised and harder to find? The layoff that seemed impossible to get through that sparked your entrepreneurial spirit. The break up that inevitably led to a relationship that was better for you and led to Mr. Right. The dark road travelled with detours aplenty that ended in a place you never dreamed of…like getting lost while finding your favorite restaurant, only to find a new one.

Two years ago I had A LOT going wrong in my life; more things going wrong than right. Just when I thought I was going to make it through one rough patch, two more things would pop up that seemed even worse. It got to where I couldn’t hide the stress or the anxiety that came with it. I asked my pastor… “Just how much more can I take? How many things have to go wrong before God finally gives me a break?” He told me to read Job. “I can’t… I don’t have a bible handy.” “No…but I bet your laptop is handy. Bible Gateway. Read Job.” I hadn’t heard the story of Job at this point but knew that it couldn’t be good if my pastor was telling me to read Job as I complained about my circumstance.

I read Job…..Wow.

My situations; all of them, seemed like hangnails compared to what he was put through.

Imagine that your neighbor calls you at work, telling you the terrible news that your house and vehicles have been destroyed by fire, and while that person is still speaking, you learn that you’ve been fired from your job. While those words are still coming out of your boss’ mouth, your husband calls: your kids and all their families have been killed while they were vacationing together.

These are the unimagineable circumstances Job encountered. Devastating messages assaulted him again and again – each one coming while the messenger “was still speaking.” Who can even begin to comprehend his sheer horror at learning that all ten of his children were dead?

What did Job do? What was his initial response upon hearing of the loss of all he owned and of all he held dear? First, he grieved. He physically responded in the Eastern mode of grief by tearing his robe and shaving his head to display his deep sorrow. Yet no outward sign of grief could capture the inward torture Job felt.

What Job did next showed his faithfulness toward God. He fell to the ground and worshipped. That’s right – he didn’t berate God or ask “Why me?” or “Why them?” Instead, he acknowledged that everything comes from God, and he praised the name of the Lord. Try imagining that scene. It takes my breath away. Picture this man, deep in the throes of grief, praising God. In light of the horrific blows dealt to him, how did he do that?

There could only be one answer: Job knew God – really knew him with an uncommon intimacy. His close relationship with God had taught him that God was the only one who could give him any kind of real comfort. Job’s knowledge yielded a deep trust in an infallible Lord – a trust that enabled Job’s heart to keep beating even in the face of overwhelming heartbreak. It allowed him to respond to horrible pain with worship and praise.

At the end of the story, Job’s wealth was restored and his family grew. But more than that, Job had seen God and knew God’s goodness even in suffering.

His blessings weren’t all that he owned before his devastation or even after when all was restored to him. The true blessings were in the faithfulness found and exhibited DURING the trials put before him.

Yes… I am more blessed this year than any before it. I have an amazing husband, two of my three daughters talking to me and even coming home for Christmas, amazing friends ALL put in my path by Jesus, and so much to look forward to because he got me through everything I thought was “the worst part of my life.”

But I am more thankful for getting diagnosed with breast cancer at thirty, a DUI two years ago, and a divorce. Getting through those incidences put before me are what made me the person I am today and able to appreciate ALL of the blessings He has given to me this Thanksgiving.