Gratitude Is the Lifeline to Joyნიმუში

Day 1: He Hears You & Loves You

By Emily Klesick

Read: Ezra 3:11 – With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the Lord: "He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!” Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s temple had been laid.

Reflection:

I don’t know about you, but I feel like every time I settle into a moment of feeling thankful, life throws another curveball that challenges that gratitude.

Jesus has been challenging me a great deal on my own definition of gratitude. I really started thinking about this in 2020 when the world shut down. It was a moment where I felt like God was reaching a hand out over and over, saying, “What are you thankful for? Things that won’t last? Things that you’ll never take into heaven? Or are you thankful for the things of eternal value that no one can take from you? Beloved, fix your eyes.”

I have been in the throes of chronic illness. I spent many days unable to function, overwhelmed with physical pain, and suffering emotionally at the hand of guilt and shame that I was not the parent I wanted to be. One thing that many people who don’t suffer from chronic illness don’t understand is the space that suffering physically takes up in your life. I was overwhelmed, but leaning on Christ, begging Him to realign my eyes to see my identity in Him and not my illness.

I was scheduled for surgery at the end of March 2020, but COVID-19 ramped up, and it was postponed. At this point, we all thought that school would be back in a few weeks and life would return to normal. I didn’t see God working at that time, but of course, He was. Praise Him, because had I undergone my operation then, I would have been at home teaching my kiddos through surgical recovery. He knows so much better.

Surgery was rescheduled for early June 2020, and I'd continually placed it before the Lord. I felt Him asking me again and again, “Is your hope in this surgery or is it in Me? Will you still believe I am good if you are still in pain?” I continued to surrender my hopes and asked God to help me believe in His goodness.

Unexpectedly, I had a very hard recovery. I wanted to be grateful that my surgery had gone so well and that I had an excellent prognosis moving forward. But as I remained on bed rest far past the first two weeks, I struggled to feel thankful. And I saw Him evident in so many areas of my life. He allowed me to pause to see His faithfulness to me, my family, and my community during that season. I'm still rejoicing for that now, with new challenging circumstances. His past faithfulness spurs me on to look for His new mercies.

Gratitude is hard right now. We stare uncertainty, division, and feel overwhelmed in the face of every day. But I want to remind you of one thing that Scripture tells us in Ezra. Let’s read it again!

With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the Lord: "He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!” Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s temple had been laid. Ezra 3:11

For the people of Israel, beginning to rebuild the temple after coming back to Jerusalem from exile, they praised and gave thanks to the Lord. Many were weeping because they had seen the first temple, and many were overjoyed at the beginning of the new one. But they gave thanks.

Friends, at this Thanksgiving, let's not let the circumstances of the current days sway us away from the gratitude that God so rightly deserves. Things are hard, but He is infinitely, wonderfully, and unendingly good. No matter what we walk through, His goodness remains the same. Lay your struggles at His feet and remember that your praise echoes with the praises of hurting people from the beginning of Creation. He hears you, He loves you, and your thanksgiving reaches Him with so much power. May He be the source of your joy and the object of your gratitude this Thanksgiving.