A Thankful Heart by Pastor Todd Lout

1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us, "In EVERYTHING give thanks. This is God's will, in Christ Jesus, concerning you." There's this memory I have, from childhood, that stays with me always.  I was on the "blacktop" at school, waiting to see if I was picked for a team.  For me this was not a fun anticipation as I was that awkward kid who was quiet, sensitive and always picked last.  In fact, I didn't want to be picked at all because I really didn't like the sport, but I certainly didn't want to be picked last, again, in front of everyone.  Well, I was picked last and the kid in charge of selecting wasn't all that happy to get stuck with me.  He threw the ball directly at my face.  It was a horrible and glorious moment.  The horrible part is easy to understand, but glorious??  Here's why it was glorious; This passage from Thessalonians rose up in my mind and my heart in that moment.  Instantly it brought some level of peace, not because of what it said, but because the Word came up in me.  What it said was actually a further cause for frustration for a few minutes.  "How can I give thanks in the middle of rejection and humiliation?"  However, the very fact that I believed God, my constant One, was the one who brought that passage to mind actually was a segue (or segway....but the spelling of that word is an entirely differnt topic!) to the realm of thanksgiving, itself.  "Thank You that You are with me.  Thank You that You see me." This, in itself, brought strength to me. We've got so many different sets and levels of things we're dealing with, as opposed to someone else.  The various things we're all facing hit us in a different way than our neighbor so comparison is nothing but a horrible trap.  But we do know that commonly we have a daily opportunity to give thanks in all circumstance.  We, all of us, absolutely need to.  It's how God put things in motion.  A thankful heart is the avenue for breakthrough, strength, peace and all kinds of good things that come from a perfect Father. Today I'm not that shy kid who gets picked last anymore.  I'm thankful, though, for the fact that having such experiences growing up drew me into the secret place with God.  Today I'm journeying along with a whole other set of circumstances that can be considered the "in EVERYTHING" of that mysterious and powerful Thessalonians passage.  Do I have moments where it feels impossible to give thanks?  You bet I do!   But knowing that a thankful heart is a tried and true deal gets me back to a good spot a lot quicker than it used to take me without such. This whole thing can be intricately woven into little every day things.  For instance, I can be kinda moody sometimes.  Yes, yes I really can be.  When I feel that starting to seem out of control I thank God that He is the same yesterday, today and forever and that He's my dad.  In my weakness He is strong.  It doesn't always instantly make me feel like dancing a jig, but it really does start blowing away some clouds from my mind. What I'm saying is that even when it feels like it's all cah cah, there's still SOMETHING to grab ahold of to have thanks for and let that create a spark on the inside.  Honestly, the more we let our heart be a thankful one, the more constant we will feel it and know it deep in our knower. Happy Thanksgiving ya'll!  You're wonderful cause God thinks so!!  Aren'y you thankful for that? Love, Todd