Thankful and Thanksgiving

For a lot of people it is difficult to even think about being thankful during the holidays this year. Many fear losing a job or their home. You may find that your are on such a tight budget that it is difficult to face the extra expense that the holiday brings.

I understand.

This job hunting thing I am going through is very unnerving. I frequently find myself teetering between fear and faith. While I was perusing Ecclesiastes in preparation for a manuscript I am working on, I stumbled across a scripture that really put things in perspective. I now have this verse on my mirror so I am constantly reminded of its truth.

In the day of prosperity be joyful. But in the day of adversity consider: surely God has appointed the one as well as the other.

Ecclesiastes1:14 NKJV

It is so easy to be thankful when times are good. I was very thankful for the job I had last year. I loved the children and the staff. It made the loss much harder when I was let go. It was a bit like losing an extended family. It all came as such a great surprise.

This scripture reminds me that nothing is a surprise to God. He knows the good times, but is also aware when adversity is coming into our lives. That knowledge somehow makes it easier for me to get out of bed and dress to go on job interviews. It is what helped me to rewrite my manuscript after receiving a devastating rejection. The thing about being thankful is that it is a choice that sets forth a positive chain of events.

Just as my latest manuscript is better because of the rejection and rewrites, I must believe that I will be a better person after this season of hardship is over. For this I can be thankful.

I can open my freezer and pantry and see that I have it stocked with food. For that I can be thankful. I do have a part-time job and my son has a full-time job. For that I can be thankful. I made a mortgage payment again this month. For that I can be thankful.

Members of my family will gather together this Thanksgiving. We will share a traditional meal. New friends from my part-time job gathered last week for a pre-Thanksgiving get-together. During this time of unemployment, my friends from church have shown me great support and generosity. I can't help but be thankful.

--And I can't wait to look up this very post in the archive a year from now and see how my life has changed!