“In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ.”   Hebrews

(The following is an article I wrote some years ago, which explains why in some places it sounds dated.  I felt it appropriate as those living in the U.S. prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday.)

I saw the above posted on the door of a church in the town where I live.  It made me wonder when I saw it.  How does one give thanks for EVERY thing? I thought of the people who don’t have homes to live in or an overabundance of food to eat, who are experiencing the first holiday season without a loved one, or who are facing some other personal tragedy or trauma in their lives.

This was made very personal to me the morning after Thanksgiving.  My oldest daughter and I had decided to get up early to see the people losing their minds doing Black Friday shopping.  We were up and out of the house at 4:00 a.m.  Our first stop was Target.  There were no cars in the parking lot.  Closed.  Not a problem, we drove to the nearby shopping mall.  It was desolate.  Even Wal Mart was dark!  A nearby convenience store was open, however, so we stopped to get some coffee and a donut.  Behind the counter was a middle-aged man, somewhat rotund and appearing a bit disheveled; not surprising due to the early morning hours.  He was wearing a Wyoming stocking cap, which prompted my question to him of whether he was from Wyoming. 

“No, I’m from Brooklyn originally”, he said with a heavy Bronx accent.

“What brought you to Colorado?” I inquired.

“I was living in Florida and had the chance to move here for the company I was working for.  I was tired of the heat and Colorado seemed nice so I decided to move.”

“Is this your second job, then?” I asked him.

“No, I got laid off after a few years, so I’m working this one for not even half the pay.”  Disappointment hung heavy in his words, and I wondered about the rest of his story.  Did he have a family?  Why didn’t he move back?  How in the world did he survive on what he was making working at a convenience store? 

I didn’t have any extra cash to give him, unfortunately.  So I wished him a happy holiday season, words which rang hollow as I spoke them.  My daughter talked about him after we left, trying to imagine the disappointment, the dashing of his dreams, and the day-to-day life he’s now leading.  It’s hard to imagine how he can live in Colorado on a convenience clerk salary.  It’s even harder for me to imagine how he can give thanks for EVERY thing. 

But It’s only hard to give thanks for EVERY thing-if the things are “externals”.  The “things” that really matter can’t be taken away, or lost, or even die.  The things that really matter, like love, joy, and peace—themes which we will be reminded of this Advent and Christmas– are internal and eternal.  These are the things that give meaning to every other “thing”, and that truly due cause one to give thanks!  I believe that’s what the writer of that passage in Hebrews had in mind, and heart, and soul.