Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Tomorrow marks another Thanksgiving. A time to contemplate how things have gone over the past year and give thanks for the trials as well as the blessings. You might think giving thanks for trials is silly. Why would you want to give thanks for bad things happening? Well, trials are a way for us to grow, to learn, and to turn toward our Heavenly Father. Trials are a necessary part of life and can actually be a benefit. It’s how you deal with the trials and if you praise God through it all that matters.
Looking back over this past year, I see many trials. Many things that were not pleasant. Things I wish had never happened. But through them all, there were also blessings. So, I praise God and thank Him for the trials and the blessings. Through all the difficult times, God was there. He provided me strength and hope.
We need to always remember to give thanks. I am thankful for my husband, reconnecting with my father, my family, my friends, my church, my job, but most of all, I am thankful for God always being there. He is my strength through the storms. He offers hope for a wonderful, eternal life with Him. That is where my focus needs to be. So, I will pray and thank God for all the blessings. I will also thank God for the trials. One particularly bad trial led to a reconnection with my father. A trial that resulted in a blessing.
So today, and every day, give thanks to our Heavenly Father for the trials and blessings. Hold fast to His promises and His truth. God will always be there if we just turn toward Him. Hold fast to His word. The best is yet to be.