November 24, 2020
Choosing a Different Kind of Gratitude
Holley Gerth
Today’s Truth
Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever, (Psalm 106:1, NIV).
Friend to Friend
The sky outside is a dense, soaked grey today. It reminds me of earlier this year when my husband and I watched from our living room window as menacing clouds rose up in the distance then stretched their fingers tentatively toward the ground. We live in tornado country and we don’t take such sights lightly. Flipping on the television, we heard the weatherman telling us to find a safe place as he pointed to splotches of red on the map. We went to our designated spot and took a moment to pray as the tree limbs began to sway outside.
The dark masses soon gave way to brilliant blue again. The wind quieted and we stepped back into the rhythm of our routine. It was not until hours later as I curled up in my cozy bed under a pile of warm blankets that it occurred to me to say “thank you” to God for what didn’t happen that day.
I mentally scrolled through the list of other disasters I’d narrowly missed in life. The bad-news boy I had a huge crush on as a teenager. The suspicious test results that worried the doctor but turned out to be nothing at all. The countless times I’ve asked God to keep my husband safe as he headed out for a bike ride and then watched him walk back through the door sweaty and smiling hours later.
And, yes, I understand that even if the storm wreaks havoc, the unwelcome diagnosis comes, or the heart gets broken, we are still to say thanks. I have experienced firsthand the mysterious, hard beauty that can come from tears and ashes. But the place where I seem to most often miss an opportunity to be grateful is when everything turns out fine and I just go on my merry way.
God invites us to say thanks then, too. First, simply because He is worthy of it. “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; his love endures forever,” (Psalm 106:1). What He prevents in our lives is just as full of gifts as what He allows.
Also, this kind of gratitude can cure so much of our discontent. When I think of how I could be suddenly homeless after a storm, I smile a bit more at the roof over my head and don’t notice that stain in the carpet as much. When I recognize I might be in the hospital instead of sitting in a little coffee shop with my computer, it puts that envy-provoking picture on social media into proper perspective. When I think of all the turns my story could have taken, the rocky patches in the road of my relationships don’t seem quite as much like boulders.
This year as I sit down for Thanksgiving dinner, I want to express my appreciation for all that’s right in front of me—good food, memories being made, dear friends and family. But I also want to thank God for all that isn’t there, for what could have been if things had gone another way or even if I had always gotten my way.
Yes, gratitude is about what we can see. But I’m learning it’s also about thanking Him for what never came be.
Let’s Pray
God, we thank You for who You are and all You have done for us. We praise You when life is hard. We praise You when life is happy. We choose to thank You in all that’s in-between. You alone deserve to receive glory.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Make a gratitude list today and be sure to include the things that, thankfully, never came to be. If you’re willing, share one thing you’re thanking God for in the comments below.
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© 2020 by Holley Gerth. All rights reserved.
Originally published Tuesday, 24 November 2020.
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