November is here and that means the Thanksgiving holiday is on the horizon.  What will Thanksgiving look like this year with COVID-19 still raging in many parts of the country and world? Health experts are advising us to take precautions and rethink how we celebrate this holiday. Sigh… It’s been a tough year for everyone with life changes that have had to be made. For some, this includes losing loved ones to the coronavirus. Behind turkey and all the trimmings, what is there to be thankful for, especially this year?

At the close of Paul the apostle’s first letter to Christians living in the city of Thessalonica, he wrote these words: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). It’s that phrase in bold that captures our attention: “give thanks in all circumstances.” Huh? What in the world is Paul talking about? How are we supposed to give thanks in all circumstances, especially the circumstances that bring disruption, difficulty, even death?

Note that Paul doesn’t say “give thanks for all circumstances,” but “give thanks in all circumstances.” There is a difference between the two. It goes without saying that our hearts and minds are not moved to give thanks for circumstances that bring trouble, hardship, or heartache. But can we see, even in the midst of these difficult circumstances, blessings that have emerged like fragile seedlings poking up through the rubble and decay? The Lord promises that “all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). God is more than able to transform trouble, hardship, and heartache into blessing. All of this does not come about naturally, but through faith. It is through the eyes of faith that we are able to see and discern blessings present, even in adversity and sorrow. This is what Paul is talking about when he says, “give thanks in all circumstances.”

Will Thanksgiving be different this year? Give thanks in all circumstances. Did the presidential election go as I hoped it would? Give thanks in all circumstances. What do the days ahead hold for us, especially with COVID-19? Give thanks in all circumstances. It is as Paul writes in another passage of Scripture: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). For the Christian, Thanksgiving is not a one-day event in late November. Rather, it is an on-going, daily offering of ourselves, our time, our possessions – all that we are and have – to the Lord, giving thanks in response to his mercy and grace.

Even if all the material goods we possess (which aren’t really ours in the first place – they are just on loan to us from God to manage) were taken away, our relationship with that gracious God remains intact, all through the redeeming life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  So, let us offer thanks and praise to God for the deeper and richer blessings in life that go far beyond material goods. Let us offer thanks and praise to God in all circumstances. There is a marvelous hymn which speaks to this giving of thanks. Written by William Watkins Reid, Sr., (1890-1983), the words call us to a truer giving of thanks:

            Forgive us, Lord, for shallow thankfulness,

            For dull content with warmth and sheltered care,

            For songs of praise for food and harvest press,

            While of Your richer gifts we’re unaware.

            Teach us to thank You, Lord, for love and grace,

            For life and vision, for a purpose clear,

            For Christ Your Son, and for each human face

            That shows Your message ever new and near.

            Forgive us, Lord, for feast that knows not fast,

            For joy in things that meanwhile starve the soul,

            For walls and wars that hide Your mercies vast

            And blur our vision of the Kingdom goal.

            Open our eyes to see Your love’s intent,         

            To know with minds and hearts its depth and height;

            May thankfulness be days in service spent,

            Reflection of Christ’s life and love and light. 

           (Lutheran Service Book, #788, stanzas 1, 2, 5, 6)

 A blessed Thanksgiving to you as we give thanks in all circumstances.