Give Thanks, Always
Thanksgiving Day for the Grieving
On Thanksgiving Day, we often look back with gratitude on how the LORD has blessed our lives this year. This is a very special time of the year to gather the harvest of God’s glorious work. They may even tell you to count your blessing twice. To those who are grieving, you may have just done the eye roll here.
Because what if there is not much of a harvest? What if your grief has you in a drought? And you don’t want to count anything, especially when your “blessings” have died.
What if there is so much suffering, grief, pain, and brokenness that you want to skip Thanksgiving altogether?
What if no business is coming in this year?
What if you lost your job or your hours were cut back this year?
What if you are faced with more losses this year than you can manage?
What if you don’t feel blessed but more like a mess?
How do you maintain an attitude of gratitude and thanksgiving in times of suffering?
Is that even realistic? I’m sorry you know this pain during the holidays. I wish things were different. I wish I could take it all away. Let’s look at what scripture says about thanksgiving.
Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians to “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” This was not a teaching when life was going great for the Thessalonians, but in reality, they were deep in suffering. Paul says that they faced severe suffering. In chapter 2:14, Paul again refers to the suffering they endured at the hands of their countrymen. In 3:2-3 we're told that these trials got so bad that Paul had sent Timothy to the Thessalonians to strengthen and encourage them in their faith. It kind of sounds like our Red Bird Team.
And yet he calls those in these circumstances, the faithful, to be joyful always, to pray continually, and to give thanks in all circumstances. What joy is there when you feel so broken and are suffering intensely? Paul thanks God for the faith, hope, and love that God has worked into their hearts (1:2-3). Even when we feel at our worst, there is much to be joyful about. The Lord has done much for them. Even when we don’t see it. Even when we are struggling to believe it, it is true. He is working things out for good.
Even while suffering, there can be intense joy and gratitude because we are children of God. The Holy Spirit gives faith, hope, and love to the people of God. These are foundational gifts that give us perspective on all of life. There may be times when we face hardships-and, yet the LORD reminds us that even amid challenging circumstances, we still have reason to experience joy and give thanks.
Now it's possible that you don't experience that joy and don't feel thankful when your grief is the heaviest. The reality is that, at times, it is hard to feel in our hearts what we may know to be true in our heads. But the LORD says that He will help us with that too. God doesn't leave you alone to your own means to experience this joy and gratitude, especially when you are suffering. He is your Saviour and will work joy and thanksgiving in your heart by His power, in His time.
The point is that after calling us to live a sanctified life, God says He will take it upon himself to make this a reality. Sometimes we must trust that God will do what He says He will. That takes tremendous courage when you are in the darkness to trust completely and surrender yourself to radical acceptance. Sometimes it just means showing up. Fake it until you make it. Sing it until you believe it. It sometimes is that hard for us who are grieving.
When I am at my weakest and feel so lost and alone, I go to Mass. This wasn’t always my first place to go. It was usually a bottle. But through my own decade of darkness, I’ve learned that makes things so much worst. Drinking never helped to take the pain away. It left me feeling horrible, sorry for myself, and even more like a failure. The last 6 years life has looked incredibly different for my family.
As Catholics, we celebrate Thanksgiving every time we go to Mass. The very word eucharist comes from the Greek word for thanksgiving and is a reminder that, as followers of Christ, we have much to be thankful for. We are thankful for his love and his mercy. We are thankful for his healing power.
So show to up to Mass, and let God change your heart. If you are open to Him, He can do great things for you. You will one day believe again that you are blessed, even when your circumstances are hard and heavy. And at Mass, you are the closest to your loved ones who have died. So if you can’t go for yourself, go for them. Pray for them. Pray for those afflicted, lost, and alone this Thanksgiving. Just show up and let the Lord transform your heart little by little, piece by piece. That is something to be grateful for that He has the power to heal and make ALL THINGS NEW. Something you will only find through the Sacraments.
Happy Thanksgiving.
