Isn’t thanksgiving supposed to flow out of a heart that is grateful, joyous, blessed beyond measure, and in awe of God’s goodness?  What then shall we do with the pain of enduring seasons of grief, trauma, and despair?  Surely, the darkness of these events which cloud our daily existence, and hovers over us like a wet blanket on a cold, damp day could hardly engender even a hint of thankfulness.

A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

You would be right if you answered “Yes” to the opening question. At the same time, I would wholeheartedly agree with the last statement.  That still leaves us with the question, “What then shall we do with our pain?” Turn it into a sacrificial offering of thanksgiving unto the Lord who is the giver of every blessing.  Tall order when what you are enduring seems to be a nasty blow dealt to you by the hand of this same God we proclaim to be the giver of blessings.  If you grasp one central truth – He is God, you are not.  Everything you have was given to you by His hands. EVERYTHING.  Therefore, when He takes it away from you, as painful as it is and as baffling as it may be, being thankful for the season of blessing in the midst of your pain as opposed to being focused on your loss will be your sacrifice of thanksgiving.

“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High.”

Psalm 50:14

Our Source of Strength

While grief, trauma, and despair makes absolutely no sense and cannot be justified from our perspective, we have been offered a source of strength and protection.  Death is a correlative to life – you cannot have one without the other. Sometimes it is premature; often it does not make sense.  Our struggle is because we question the mind of God (understandably). It is at such times we rely on the immutable character of God as we have known Him to be the Giver of good things and our source of strength.

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”

Psalm 28:7

Generosity Produces Thanksgiving

What is the outcome of focusing on your loss and your pain?  An intensified sense of loss and pain, a victim mindset, an inability to find joy in the little things in life, and a lack of purpose.  Attitude is everything – adjust it so you can live a victorious and fulfilled life notwithstanding your grief and pain.  Find something that brings you joy outside of your areas of grief and pain; an escape of sorts.  It has to be a deliberate effort which can be a gargantuan task when your pain weighs you down – do it anyway.  Give to others when you are blessed, give when you are hurting – just give unselfishly.

“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”

2 Corinthians 9:11

Surrender in Prayer

And finally, do not underestimate the uplifting power of surrendering in prayer – you are never surrendering in defeat but you are surrendering to a mighty God who will fight your battles unbeknownst to you, in the unknown and the unforeseen. Live under the cover of His peace which will always be beyond our understanding.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7