Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
Andrew Peterson, one of my all-time favorite musician/storytellers, has a song entitled, “Don’t You Want to Thank Someone.”
Can’t you feel it in your bones
Something isn’t right here
Something that you’ve always known
But you don’t know why
‘Cause every time the sun goes down
We face another night here
Waiting for the world to spin around
Just to survive
But when you see the morning sun
Burning through a silver mist
Don’t you want to thank someone?
Don’t you want to thank someone for this?
A few years ago, I went through a challenging season – the “years of tears” as I now, and not so affectionately, call them. I’m sure it comes as no surprise to you when I tell you there have been circumstances in my life for which I have been less than thankful. I’d bet my last dime (as my mom says) that you’ve been there too for one reason or another.
In one of my hardest days, I remember listening to the line in Peterson’s song, “Don’t you want to thank someone for this?” and saying, “No, Mr. Peterson. No, I don’t want to thank someone for this.” This is hard. This is painful. This is a time of grief, not gratitude. What could there possibly be in this to be thankful for?
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**Read the rest of this post over at All Mom Does and be sure to check out the rest of the devotionals in this series. You can also find a printable version of all of the devo’s in this series here.
Empty Plate . Full Heart 