Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will
of God in Christ Jesus for you.
(1
Thessalonians 5:18)
It’s Thanksgiving - time to go around the dinner table and say what you
are thankful for. When it’s your turn,
you will likely be thankful for your family and the good meal. Then, you’ll think of other blessings that
have come your way. The above Scripture
passage tells us to give thanks to God in everything. So, will you be equally
thankful for the difficulties and hardships?
Will you thank God for the nasty neighbor and the guy with road rage
that crossed your path the other day? If not, you are neglecting some of your
blessings.
Why
would God allow hardships, suffering and so on?
The answer is: “To bring a greater good from it.” This is not a lesson
we really want to hear. It is from God’s
grace and mercy that we live, that we are blessed. Most of us, as Christians,
will agree that we will all have crosses to carry in life, but when that time
actually comes and our own crosses weigh us down, in our human nature we ask,
“Lord, why are you doing this to me?” We may even feel betrayed. We hope, and
even expect, that God will go easy on us.
As followers of His Son, we feel as though God should cut us some slack
and not place too heavy a burden on us.
When we find ourselves in situations where we have nowhere to turn but
to Him, we reach out and God is always there, waiting to help – that is our
hope, our faith. When our prayers are
answered, do we remember to be grateful?
Imagine
it from God’s vantage point, all the times we complain to Him, or even just to
ourselves. While we are complaining
about some trivial thing, God sees the suffering of the poor, the lonely, the
forsaken. Instead of complaining, we
should be thanking God and offering up our inconveniences for those who are
less fortunate and for the conversion of sinners. To suffer is not just an
opportunity to strengthen our own souls, but something that can be united to
the sufferings of Christ and given in love, like a prayer, for our salvation
and for the salvation of others.
St. Joseph, help us to celebrate
this day with grateful hearts.
