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“…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

“Part of the process of grieving is being thankful.”

Does that seem like backward logic to you?

When my daughter and I were going through counseling through our church, our counselor shared this idea with us.

​At the time I thought, how can I be thankful again?​​

How can I truthfully say out loud to Jesus or to others how thankful I am for anything​?

I mean, I am thankful for Kirk because without him I wouldn’t have Emily. I am thankful for my family and friends for seeing me through a very traumatic time in my life. ​ But slowly, as I filled myself with God’s Word, I would find it easier to experience this emotion. One of the Scriptures that we covered in counseling was the verse I quoted above.

​As time went by, I realized this is part of processing grief.

A grateful heart opens to new hope and new possibilities.

Just the other day I was amazed at the hope and new possibilities of life while visiting with a widow friend at work. She makes me laugh, cry, and feel great, all at the same time. She has begun dating so I am so excited for her, wishing her the best in her new chapter.

After catching up with one widow friend, I​ ​went ​to lunch ​with another widow. She is just a year into her new journey, but she is on the right path. She is doing an incredible job with her sons. I really enjoy our lunches and sharing our struggles of suddenly being single She has been a blessing to me. When she came into my life almost a year ago, I was thankful for her.

I encourage you to take some time to find things for which you are grateful. Maybe it’s a special person or a special event that happened to you recently. Maybe you are grateful for your family and friends. Maybe you are grateful for a beautiful sunrise or sunset or both. Once you focus on the positives, the negatives slowly do not matter.

Look around and find things to be thankful for.

Another reason to be thankful is for God’s grace and eternal life​ He gave us through His Son, Jesus. Romans 7:25 (NIV) says,

“Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

If you cannot find yourself being grateful for anything, just be grateful for our Lord Jesus.

Through his life, death, and resurrection we are set free from sin. I thank Him every day, sometimes several times a day, for His sacrifice of His life so I can have eternal life and able to be reunited with Him and with Kirk and my loved​ ones again in Heaven. Without Jesus, I am nothing. Everything I have, and have had, is all because of Him. Because He died on that cross, I can live and so can you.

I hope you can find things to be thankful for in the coming days. Open your heart and be grateful for Jesus, be grateful for family and friends, be grateful for opening your eyes this morning.

I know it’s hard to be grateful, but once you start opening your heart, ​ your eyes will open too.

Lord, thank You​ for sending Your​​ One and only Son to live a perfect sinless life, to die on the cross, and rise again so we can have eternal life through You. I am grateful for every day that You​ wake me up. In Your Precious name I pray, Amen