{"id":237,"date":"2007-11-21T01:01:29","date_gmt":"2007-11-21T01:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2007\/11\/how-can-i-be-thankful-when.html"},"modified":"2007-11-21T01:01:29","modified_gmt":"2007-11-21T01:01:29","slug":"how-can-i-be-thankful-when","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/11\/how-can-i-be-thankful-when.html","title":{"rendered":"How Can I Be Thankful When . . . ?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Bible instructs us to be consistently thankful. In writing to the Thessalonian Christians, the Apostle Paul said, \u00e2??Give thanks in all circumstances<\/em>; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you\u00e2?\u009d (1 Thess 5:18). This sounds nice enough, until you find yourself in difficult, even painful circumstances. Then inspired biblical truth can feel like an insensitive platitude.
\n\u00e2??How can I be thankful when . . . ?\u00e2?\u009d Various scenarios complete the sentence. \u00e2??How can I be thankful when this is the first Thanksgiving since my mother died? Or when my family is in such disarray? Or when I\u00e2??m in the middle of chemotherapy?\u00e2?\u009d Throughout my years as a pastor, I\u00e2??ve often heard this sort of question, especially as Thanksgiving Day draws near. People would really like to feel grateful, but their life circumstances seem to make genuine gratitude impossible. They feel stuck in discouragement and despair.
\nIf we take the Psalms as a model for prayer, then we should certainly feel free, even obligated, to share with the Lord our frustrations and disappointments. Genuine prayer is not putting a happy face on our true feelings. If you\u00e2??re grieving the loss of a loved one, or feeling afraid because you\u00e2??re facing a serious illness, you should surely share these feelings with God in prayer. Being thankful in all circumstances does not mean pretending or denying.
\n\"mark-dad-toddler\"But it does mean that we must look beyond our particular circumstances. Gratitude comes when we look at the bigger picture, when we remember the multitude of ways in which we are blessed, even if we\u00e2??re also feeling sadness or fear or whatever else seems inconsistent with being thankful. For example, this will be my twenty-first Thanksgiving without my father, who died of cancer in 1986. Every year on this holiday I think about my dad. I miss him. I wish we could watch football together. I wish he were there to carve the turkey. Mostly I just wish I could be with him. So, ironically, on Thanksgiving Day I feel more sadness than usual over the loss of my father. (Photo: my dad and me in days gone by)
\nAnd yet I also feel thankful for him. Although I wish I could have had more time with my dad, I treasure the time I did have. I thank God for the hours my dad and I spent playing Candy Land and Star Reporter; and for his subtle sense of humor; and for his solid example of Christian faithfulness; and for his support when I desperately needed it. I am able to offer genuine thanks for my father, without denying the sadness I feel over his early death.
\n\u00e2??But,\u00e2?\u009d you may object, \u00e2??you lost your father a long time ago. You still feel pain, but the wound isn\u00e2??t fresh. What about people who are in the midst of suffering right now? Can they be truly grateful?\u00e2?\u009d My answer is \u00e2??Yes.\u00e2?\u009d How do I know this? Because I\u00e2??ve seen it time and again in my ministry. I\u00e2??ve watched people in the midst of a crisis nevertheless be able to express authentic thanks to God.
\nThis year will be the first one since 1982 that I will be away from my extended family at Thanksgiving. As you know if you’ve been reading my blog recently, earlier this year my wife and two children moved to Texas. So this year we’ll be spending Thanksgiving Day 1300 miles away from the people who have always been part of our celebrations. I know we’ll miss them. But I also expect that the sadness of being away from our family will accentuate our appreciation for them. If anything, hard times can make gratitdue even more accute.
\nBut what about suffering that is far greater than missing loved ones? Can one be thankful in such a predicament?
\n\"rinkart-martin\"When I think of gratitude in the face of suffering, I think of Martin Rinkart. He was a pastor in the city of Eilenburg, Germany during the first decades of the seventeenth century. If you remember your European history, this was during the so-called Thirty Years\u00e2?? War. Eilenburg, as a walled city, was often overcrowded with refugees. This often led to famine and disease. Conditions were so horrible in Eilenburg that thousands of people died, and, for a season, Rinkart was the only minister in town. During this period of time he performed up to fifty funerals in a single day. Over his lifetime he officiated at over 4,000 funerals. We can only imagine the horrific suffering Rinkart experienced.
\nIn the midst of this ordeal he wrote several hymns. One caught on among German speaking people and, in translation, among English speaking people as well. What was this popular hymn? In the original language it begins: \u00e2??Nun danket alle Gott, mit Herzen, Mund und H\u00c3\u00a4nden.\u00e2?\u009d In English translation the hymn is a Thanksgiving favorite:<\/p>\n

Now thank we all our God
\nWith heart and hands and voices,
\nWho wondrous things hath done,
\nIn whom this world rejoices;
\nWho, from our mothers’ arms,
\nHath blessed us on our way
\nWith countless gifts of love,
\nAnd still is ours today.
\nO may this bounteous God
\nThrough all our life be near us,
\nWith ever joyful hearts
\nAnd blessed peace to cheer us;
\nAnd keep us in God’s grace,
\nAnd guide us when perplexed,
\nAnd free us from all ills
\nIn this world and the next.
\nAll praise and thanks to God,
\nWho reigns in highest heaven,
\nTo Father and to Son
\nAnd Spirit now be given.
\nThe one eternal God,
\nWhom heaven and earth adore,
\nThe God who was, and is,
\nAnd shall be evermore.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I\u00e2??ve always liked this hymn. But I had probably sung it fifty times before I learned about its background. Now it means so much more to me. Martin Rinkart was calling for thanksgiving, not in a season of plenty, but in the midst of want. He was reminding us to look above our pain and to remember God\u00e2??s \u00e2??wondrous things\u00e2?\u009d and \u00e2??countless gifts of love.\u00e2?\u009d The hymn acknowledges that we will sometimes be \u00e2??perplexed\u00e2?\u009d and suffer \u00e2??all ills.\u00e2?\u009d But by lifting our eyes above these immediate circumstances, we are able to give thanks to God. The last verse looks, not to the good things God has done for us, but to the very nature of our good God, who deserves \u00e2??all praise and thanks.\u00e2?\u009d
\nThe ability to look beyond our immediate circumstances is itself a gift of God\u00e2??s grace. If you\u00e2??re struggling to be grateful, ask the Lord to give you a fresher and truer perspective on your life. Allow yourself enough time to remember and reflect upon God\u00e2??s gifts. Most of all, think about who God is. Meditate upon his mercy and love. The more you do, the more you\u00e2??ll find true gratitude flowing from your heart.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Bible instructs us to be consistently thankful. In writing to the Thessalonian Christians, the Apostle Paul said, \u00e2??Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you\u00e2?\u009d (1 Thess 5:18). This sounds nice enough, until you find yourself in difficult, even painful circumstances. Then inspired biblical truth…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-thanksgiving"],"yoast_head":"\nHow Can I Be Thankful When . . . ? - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=237"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}