Do you ever just stop and say, “God, thank you for all that you have given me”? No, better yet, get specific: “God, thank you so much for this toaster and the bread that is in it. Thank you for the chair that I get to sit in. Thank you for a measure of health. Thank you for my job. etc…” The list goes on and on with the things we should be thankful for.

We all know that life can be hard, and because of that, thankfulness can sometimes be hard. God’s word tells us to be thankful “in all circumstances.” That means thankfulness when being thankful is difficult. When things don’t work out. When everything seems hard. And while sometimes it can be hard, being thankful is the only reasonable response to living in a world orchestrated by a loving, all-wise, all-powerful God. But you know what I find most difficult? I find it most difficult to be thankful right now. Here’s what I mean.

I can have my theology squared away about thankfulness. I can know the verses, know the benefits, and even know how to tell you to be thankful. But I can be living my life, going along, and totally forgetting to be thankful. It’s weird that when life is best, it is easiest to forget. Thankfulness in the middle of difficult may be hard, but it seems like the impulse to be thankful is always in front of you. When times are good though, saying thank you can seem so far away.

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