Be Thankful in All Circumstances

Gratitude is the buzzword of the holiday season.  We focus on our blessings as we enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends and we look forward to the month-long celebration of Light with anticipation and gratitude for all we've been given. Some of us may keep gratitude journals, or otherwise list reminders of the things that we're thankful for. 

It's easy to give thanks for the good things; much harder to be thankful when circumstances are difficult, when bad things happen, when its challenging to try to put on a happy face and go about the business of living.

Yet gratitude in the midst of suffering is the path to hope and healing.  1 Thessalonians 5:16 tells us: "Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances...do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophesies with contempt; test everything; hold onto the good.."

Even in the darkest of times, it is possible to find a ray of light and hope- that thing to hold onto.  We can choose to be thankful for what the darkness has to teach us, for the nugget of goodness in the midst of it.  We can simply be thankful that God is with us, giving us peace. 

Whether we are going through a happy time in life or a sad, challenging time, we are never alone and there is always much to be grateful for.

Meditation for the day: 

 Breathe in light and love, 

breathe out sadness, anger and fear... 

give thanks for the Light and Goodness that has overcome the darkness
...be still.