Give Thanks in All Circumstances

Verse of the Week:  

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Give Thanks in ALL Circumstances

It had been one of those days in school that all teachers face at one point or another.  I had lost my cool and screamed at one of my students.  I kept telling him to get on task over, over, and over, to not interrupt when I was talking over, over, and over, and to stop clowning around over, over, and over.  I sounded like a broken record saying the same thing to him OVER, OVER, and OVER!!!!  I had reached the end of my rope, and I turned into his worst nightmare.  The poor kid's ears must have gone deaf as I yelled as loud as I could,  my eyes were shooting fiery darts, and I must have looked like I was ready to go to war.  I was tired, fat (I was pregnant at the time), and stressed out that day, and had lost it.  

To make things worst, I went home with that kid in my mind, and continued to fume over what he had done.  Why was I teaching again?  Why didn't I get an easier profession that didn't involve 12 year olds? I should have been a military commander, because I spent the rest of the evening strategically planning out my next battle I was sure I would face with him the next day.  I went over every possible scenario of what he might do  and thought of every possible action I could take for each scenario.  Sound familiar fellow teachers? Well, after I got a good nights rest, I rolled out of bed that morning, and got myself ready for another day of school all while dreading to see that particular student and class.  As I was driving to school, I started to pray like I always do, and I was thanking the good Lord for my husband and our child in my womb.  But then I did a very difficult thing,  I THANKED God for that kid, and for the privilege of teaching him and my other students.  My heart began to soften and I was able to pray for that boy. I didn't solve all my problems with him, and he continued to give me fits on some days, but because I was praying and thanking God for him, my own perspective began to change. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says,  "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." Did Paul really say give thanks in ALL circumstances?  Maybe Paul made a typo when he wrote ALL?  Really?  ALL circumstances? 

I have learned over the years that you truly can be thankful in all situations.  Sometimes it isn't easy to find a blessing when you are drowning in a pit of despair, but when we do, we find out that we begin to view the situation differently.  We begin to look at our circumstances through Christ's eyes.  

"There is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still." Corrie Ten Boom, one of my heroes said that.  She and her sister Betsie were placed in a concentration camp during World War II and despite the horrible, brutal devastating situation, they found a way to give thanks in ALL circumstances. In her book, The Hidding Place, she and her sister Betsie talk about this while they are being assigned to their barracks. Here is what Bestie starts off saying...

"That's it Corrie!  That's His answer. 'Give thanks in all circumstances!' That's what we can do right now to thank God for every single thing about this new barracks!"

I stared at her, than around me in the dark foul-aired room.

"Such as?" I said.

"Such as being assigned here together."

I bit my lip. "Oh yes, Lord Jesus!"

"Such as what you're holding in your hands."

I looked down at the Bible. "Yes! Thank you dear Lord that there was no inspection when we entered here! Thank you for all the women here in this room, who will meet You in these pages."

"Yes," said Bessie.  "Thank you for the very crowding here.  Since we're packed so close, that many more will hear!" She looked at me expectantly, "Corrie!" she prodded.

"Oh, all right.  Thank you for the jammed, crammed, stuffed, packed, suffocating crowds."

"Thank you," Betsie went on serenely, "for the fleas and for-"

The fleas!  That was way to much.  "Betsie, there's no way even God can make me grateful for a flea."

"Give thanks in all circumstances,'" she quoted.  "It doesn't say, 'in pleasant circumstances.' Fleas are part of this place where God has put us."

And so we stood between piers of bunks and gave thanks for the fleas.  But this time I was sure Betsie was wrong.

As I read on later in the book, it turns out they found a reason to be thankful for the fleas.  NO guard or officer in the concentration camp would enter the barracks because of all of the fleas inside.  The fleas helped to provide a safe haven for all of those women.

Give thanks in all circumstances.....