Thanks in All Seasons
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)
In Ravensbrück, Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsie slept on straw crawling with fleas. Betsie insisted they thank God even for the fleas. Weeks later they learned why: guards never entered that barracks, so the sisters could read the Bible aloud without punishment. Paul asks us to give thanks in every circumstance. Sometimes the thing that disgusts us hides a mercy we cannot see yet.
7:40 a.m. Coffee in hand, traffic on the map, a text you dread opening. Your chest tightens before the day even starts. Pause once and name one gift already here. You are not alone in this hour.
Three Morning Gifts
- 1Before checking your phone, name three small gifts already in this morning.
- 2Call or text one person before lunch and thank them for one real gift in your life.
Lord, my hands shake over that unread text. Open my eyes to gifts I missed. Teach me thanks like Betsie in a flea-filled room.
What small gift is already in your morning that you have not named yet?
Does thanks mean the circumstance is good?
No. It means you refuse to let difficulty be the only voice in the room.
What if I feel nothing to be glad for?
Start small: breath, a meal, one kind text. Gratitude grows from small true things.
Why is this God's will?
Thanks keeps the heart soft and awake to grace while you still tell the truth about pain.