Thank God in all things and why we should

Sometimes it is hard, but scripture tells us that we should thank God in all things. Today, I want to share one of my favorite stories which helped me begin to understand why.

1 Thessalonians 5:18  from TLB says, “No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 

It is hard to be thankful when things don’t work out the way we think they should. But God’s Word clearly tells us, no matter what, we should be thankful.

My son turns 18 this week. He and I have an incredible birth story. One that is worth remembering.

No matter what happens, thank God in all things. 

In the days leading up to his birth, I was hospitalized to monitor our vitals. My blood pressure was dangerously high and the doctors decided we should do a 24-hour urine catch to check my protein levels. At 1 a.m., about 12 hours into the catch, a new nurse entered my room. Drowsily, I watched as she dumped out all the urine. I questioned her but there was nothing to be done. The samples were flushed down the toilet, literally. With tears in my eyes, I laid in that dark room confused and thought how can I thank God for this. Struggling to understand, I began to thank God anyway. I thanked God for the hospital, for the bed I was lying in and the blankets that were keeping me warm. I began thanking God for my husband and family and for our unborn son.

The next morning, the doctors convinced us, in lieu of the nurse’s ‘mistake’, to induce labor. It took about 11 hours from start to finish but we birthed a healthy little baby boy. His name is Hannis ‘Luke’ Thompson.

At delivery, the nurses quickly handed the mucus covered child to his father to focus their attention on me.  My firefighting husband knew by the urgency of the staff and the amount of blood that something was not right. Apparently, the cord broke loose and my placenta ruptured just after delivery. We did not know it, but the umbilical cord was barely hanging on. The doctor called it a fluke, a one in a million statistic and explained if the cord had come loose during pregnancy, it would have meant immediate death to our unborn child and probable death to me. It took a long while for the gravity and miracle of our situation to settle in.

I believe the ‘mistake’ the nurse made actually saved both of our lives. You see, we would have went home the next day at lunch, determined to make it two more weeks to term. That nurse’s mistake became our miracle. Thanks be to God!

No matter what, always be thankful. 

Isaiah 55 says, For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

We cannot understand God’s ways. His ways are indeed higher than our ways. My husband and I were quite upset at the time. In hindsight, it is obvious. God saved our lives through that nurse. Thanks be to God in all things, even things I do not understand.

I share this to encourage you. The next time you find yourself in a situation that is not working out, pause and thank God. Even though you might not understand it, be thankful and know God is there working something out. Something you might not be able to see in the moment. But nonetheless, working it out anyway.

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. Praise be to God!  Praise HIM in all things!  Thankfulness is a practice. Make it a habit. Start today.

Let us pray;

Dear Lord, thank you for your Word that instructs us to be thankful in all things. Although we do not understand your ways, we thank you anyway. We know You are working it all out for the good of those that love You. We love You God! And we praise You for all YOU do in our lives.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

P.S. check out this precious YouTube below. If you cannot see it, open this message from your browser. Be sure to leave me a comment below. And forward this message to a friend. Share on Facebook and tag me in it. Until next time, be thankful. -M