I've heard it all week: "Ha. What's there to be thankful for in this terrible year?" The nicer ones from church-goers said, "I'm thankful I didn't catch COVID19. I'm also thankful that I got to spend more time with my family."
But is that it? Can someone who had to work through the whole pandemic be thankful? Can someone who got sick or had a family member pass away this year still somehow be thankful?
Give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thess. 5:18When we go to Kroger (a local grocery supermarket), Mischa always requests to sit in the cart that is designed to look like a fire engine. There are two steering wheels on board that spin freely but is not capable of changing the direction of the cart.
One of our games is to find an empty aisle and go "turbo speed." I panic and scream for her to slow down. She erupts in laughter. Another silly game we play involves going in a zig-zag pattern (imagine ten zig zags every 4ft). I tell her "don't drive so crazy or I'll get dizzy!" She turns the steering wheel even more wild. Now, combine the two games: empty aisle. Turbo speed. Zig zags. I'm surprised we haven't knocked anything off the shelves...yet!
At the end of each game, I ask her, "Why do you drive so crazy?!" She laughs and says, "I didn't drive it! You did!" I always ask because I want her to know one truth: Dad's in complete control. Even so, I still see her try to "turn" on to an empty aisle because she wants to go turbo speed. Other times, I turn down an aisle to get something boring like canned tomatoes. I see her trying to steer us away because she'd rather find something more interesting. In the picture below, she tries to "turn" towards her favorite cheese. I move the cart in the direction of her turning purely because I was planning to get it for her even before she asked.
This is why believers of Jesus are able to give thanks. No matter what circumstance we find ourselves, we know that it is God who is "steering the cart." Praying is not "steering." It's communicating with our Father who loves us dearly. Praying is like Mischa turning around and saying, "Let's do that again!" or "Can we get marshmallow?" Or even, "I don't want to go down this aisle."
Where has God steered you this year?
Aisle 14-- The office and school supply aisle. Has this year been tough working/studying from home?
Aisle 13-- Baby supplies. Are you like me, struggling with caring for an infant/toddler/children?
Aisle 18-- Toilet paper section. I've found that aisle to be the most aggressive. Perhaps your year has been full of conflicts with your family members, coworkers, friends, and other social groups. The arguments vary so widely it feels like you're fighting multiple fronts. Constantly.
Aisle 28-- Perhaps you find yourself in the Pharmacy aisles with illnesses, pain, and death. Distancing has been challenging enough already. But to not share special moments with people before they pass is utterly devastating.
Or, like any trip to Kroger, it consists of going down many aisle. There are those days where Mischa asks, "Can we go home yet?" Maybe that's where you are now.
The call almost seems cold: "Give thanks in all circumstances." But the next line is the warmth: "for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Whatever aisle you find yourself in, don't forget to look back to see who is still pushing your cart. He doesn't shove the cart down the aisle. He walks down the aisle, too. He is a God who is near-- a God who promises never to leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5).
Praise Him for the turbo-speed/zig-zag days where it is full of laughter. Praise Him for the days where you don't want to go down that aisle because He has not abandoned you. He brings us down those aisle for our good. One day, when Mischa matures, she will understand why I take her down the canned tomato aisles. Maybe one day, we will know why God brings us down those aisles, too.
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