PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

January 12, 2022

THANK YOU

As a part of his final exhortation the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians says: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18)  Every time I read this text I am reminded of Corrie ten Boom.  She was a member of the Dutch Reformed Church who was arrested for helping her Jewish neighbors during World War II.  She was convicted and spent time in the Scheveningen, Herogenbush and Ravensbruck concentration camps.  She was accidently released by a clerical error before the other women at Ravensbruck were sent to the gas chamber.

In her book The Hiding Place Corrie tells the following story.  One of things that kept her going in Ravensbruck was reading a Bible that had been smuggled in.  One day she read the above passage.  What caught her eye was the phrase “give thanks in all circumstances.”  Could Paul really mean this?  The first thing that came to her mind was the fleas.  It seemed that none of the other barracks had them.  It did not make sense, but she would give thanks for the fleas.  Later she discovered the guards did not like the fleas either.  Therefore, they stayed away from Corrie’s barracks and left them in peace to hold Bible studies and pray together.

Corrie’s was an extreme case.  Hopefully we will never find ourselves in such a desperate situation.  None-the-less, the exhortation to give thanks in all circumstances is as much for us as it was for the Apostle Paul and ten Boom.  One way we can live out this injunction is by saying “Thank You.”  The practice of saying “Thank You” in all circumstances helps one to focus on what one has rather than on what one does not have.  Rather than complaining what is wrong with our world, saying “Thank You” helps one to focus on what one has been given and what one has.  Saying “Thank You” helps one to see ones’ glass half-full rather than half-empty.

Saying “Thank You” in all circumstances also helps to create an atmosphere of human decency and civility. Making the extra effort to show our gratitude to another person for a service rendered, an act performed, or a word spoken helps to create a bond between us and the person.  The same process also works in reverse when we acknowledge when someone tells us “Thank You.”

The Book of Ecclesiastes teaches that every day is a gift from God.  We brought nothing into this world and we will take nothing out.  All that we have comes from God and our only response should be “Thank You.”  And the greatest gift that God has given is His son who came that we might have life, life in all of its fullness.

One might question the logic of Paul’s exhortation.  It could be argued a better way to put what he has to say is “If you pray without ceasing and give thank in all circumstances, then you will be able to rejoice always.”  Joy and happiness are the result of praying and giving thanks.  Joy and happiness are the result of living a life of gratitude.

In conclusion I would like to say “Thank You” to all of you who take the time to read my musings.  It is appreciated.  I would also say “Thank You” to the newspapers in which my articles appear for printing them weekly.