When we think of giving thanks to God, it is usually for the bounty and many other blessings He has provided. We ought to be thankful for those things. Just tonight as we sat at our evening meal I thanked God for the comfort of our home and the food we eat. There are many other things that I am also thankful for, such as my wife, my family, my friends and my church. I am thankful that God has provided us with good jobs and a degree of comfort. I am thankful that my home is in the United States of America, a country richly blessed by God. I could fill several sheets of paper with thanksgivings.
But Paul said, In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. I am glad that Paul did not tell us to be thankful for everything. I don't really think I could thank God for knees that hurt every step I take. But I can be thankful that even though my knees hurt, God still loves me and that I still have knees that work, even though they pain me. The same can be true in many situations of life. We may be challenged by things we detest, but we can be thankful that God gives us the wisdom and strength to meet the challenge. And we can be thankful that God is with us through it all.
One writer said: "I felt sorry for myself because I had no shoes. Then I met a man who had no feet."
This Thanksgiving I am thankful for all the things I should obviously be thankful for.... and for the challenges that have been sent my way. I am thankful that even though my knees pain me, I don't have a condition that pains me more. I can still walk. I can still work, and yes, I can still sometimes play.
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