Being Thankful....In and For

I have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, and all year long.  Including, but not limited to all of the materialistic blessings of a house, car, food on the table, a job for both Peter and myself.  But more than that I am blessed with a loving and wonderful husband who I realize more and more each day was specifically designed for me by my God who loves me.  Peter is the ying to my yang.  The pretzels to my m&ms.  The soulmate God chose for me.  And I love him more each day.  But even more than that, I am blessed with the grace, mercy, forgiveness and love of the Lord Jesus Christ.  And nothing can top that.  Not even my awesome husband.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Ephesians 5:20

"...always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Though these two verses seem to be saying the same thing, there is a great difference between the two.  This is something I've been learning through our prayer series at church.  One Tuesday night, Pastor Doug really hit this point home.  

I've only begin to decipher what this all means to me and how to actually apply it to my own life.  And I'm sure it's something I'll probably continue to learn for the rest of my life.  

They say hindsight is always 20/20 and when you can look back on bad times and see the good that's come from it, it's easy to thank God for those bad times.  When you see the benefits that come from negative things, it's easy to thank God for that negative circumstance.  Sometimes we are blessed with being able to see the good that comes from the bad.  To see how, in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).  

But sometimes we don't get to see the good.  We are stuck living the bad and it seems like no good could ever come of the things we are going through.  Can you thank God in that moment?  Yeah, that's a tough pill to swallow.  It's something I'm working on myself.  I think I've gotten the for down a lot better than the in though.  I desire to be an obedient daughter to my Heavenly Father and so I press on trying to thank Him for and in all things.

And the very first part of the first verse I posted?  "Be joyful always"....that's a whole 'nother post for a whole 'nother time.