Gracious Goodness!

"In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I will admit, I frequent the fast food drive-thru with disconcerting regularity. And for the majority of them, the bar is set pretty low when it comes to service. But my trip to BK the other day was a new low. Literally, the only words spoken to me were “Can I take your order?” and “$5.84, second window.” I've gotten somewhat used to no “thank you” or “have a good day.” But to not get out one word at the window? And even the couple phrases she could squeeze out had such a despondent tone. On my way home, I wondered, even if you couldn't care less about your job, what is so wrong in this girl's life that to offer a simple greeting is a chore?

Now, it's entirely possible that I caught her on a bad day. And hopefully it was just the day that had her down and not a big, complicated mess. But when I started thinking about it, I realized something. At that particular moment, she had nothing to be thankful for. Every joy in our life, no matter how big or how small, is joyful because we are grateful for the gift that is in it.

Complete gratitude is the will of God, because it disposes us to humility. While we rejoice in what He has given us, we recognize that it is His gift, and our gratitude becomes trust and dependence on Him. A prayer of thanksgiving is ultimately a prayer of praise. And the more we praise Him in thanks, the more we remember Who He is, and how good He is, and we become conditioned not to praise Him for what He has done, but simply for being Who He is.

Blessed among women,
When Elizabeth called you the mother of her Lord, you gave all the praise to Him. Help us, in all things, to be thankful, that His goodness may be magnified by our lives.