“How are you doing?” It’s not a question we care to answer honestly with just anyone, so the answer is often short and sweet. I do hope you have someone in your life with whom you can discuss the topic on a deeper level. After all, we were made for community. Are you feeling stuck in your circumstances by any chance? If so, keep reading. There’s a remedy for that!
Grief Journey
My dad passed away nearly 8 months ago. It’s been a REALLY busy 8 months, possibly on purpose, but not necessarily. Some days feel like a struggle to stay afloat. I didn’t really have time to work through my grief or even give much thought to it. So, in response to a nudge from the Holy Spirit, I signed up for something else to do! I signed up for GriefShare through my church. It wasn’t because I needed something else to do, but rather, it was because I needed to do something else—address my grief. It was my way of forcing myself to sit still long enough to face my grief and work through it. The bonus, I think, has been going on this journey with a group of women that I didn’t even know beforehand. We’ve come to enjoy spending our Monday evenings together.
The title of last week’s lesson was “Stuck” and I’m sure we’ve all been there at one time or another. Maybe you’re there right now. I don’t know the current circumstances of your life, but I have a feeling you are facing some challenges. After all, Jesus assured us that we WILL have trouble in this world (John 16:33). Trouble comes in all shapes and sizes—a troubling diagnosis, a pink slip, a broken relationship, financial strife, the death of a loved one, etc. Sometimes the trouble is so overwhelming that we become paralyzed by it, unable to move. We get stuck!
The Solution
If you find yourself stuck right now, I have the perfect antidote—gratitude. It’s a popular topic this week as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving. Do you have an attitude of gratitude? We learned in GriefShare that gratitude is a healer. By placing our focus on the good, the difficulties we are experiencing lose their potency. Look around—search for beauty and blessings. They are there! Let’s not allow our feelings to boss us around. Instead, let’s stand firm in the truth.
The Reason—Jesus
“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT
As followers of Christ, we ALWAYS have reason to be thankful. Jesus saved us from our sins by dying on a cross. That’s how much He loves us. And three days later the tomb was empty—He defeated death! Through faith in Jesus, we have the promise of spending eternity with Him.
We can trust Him with our trouble and be thankful in the midst of it. No matter the difficulty, we can find comfort in knowing that God is with us and will bring goodness and love into the situation.
“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.”
Psalms 23:6a NIV
For that, I am thankful! Clothe yourself with an attitude of gratitude as you gather round the table to celebrate Thanksgiving. It’ll look good on you. So good that you may never want to take it off!
Wishing you and yours a blessed Thanksgiving!
