All human beings have difficulties in their life, times of great happiness and joy, and times of sorrow and darkness. The command in this passage is not too hard to obey when things are going well: rejoicing when we are feeling happy and optimistic; praying when meditating or worshipping; giving thanks when we have been abundantly blessed. The challenge to obey comes in the challenging times, the dark times, the times of grief and sorrow.

After the passing of my husband of 52 years, I was struggling with grief and all its accompanying feelings – sadness, confusion, despair, uncertainty, among others. I could go to sleep, but I would wake up two or three hours later with so many questions buzzing in my brain that I would be awake until dawn. When I visited my doctor, she recommended that I talk with a social worker on the staff who was a grief specialist. When we met, she suggested many coping strategies that I already knew, but the one suggestion that surprised me was to keep a gratitude journal. I know this is regular practice for many people, but I had never written down the things for which I was grateful. I thanked God for them in my prayers, but I never committed them to paper. I was shocked by her suggestion: how could I be grateful when my husband, along with all our shared plans, was gone?

But I was willing to try pretty much anything. As I began devoting time to this practice, along with recalling happy memories of our years together, I realized that I should and could be thankful for the adventures we had together, the beautiful family we had created and nurtured, his many acts of kindness, both for me and for others. I even felt grateful that he enjoyed good health and was able to do the things he loved until four months before his passing.

It did not happen overnight, and many tears were shed going through this process, but the fog of anxiety and sadness that had enveloped me began to clear. It comes back from time to time and probably always will, but now I can include everyday blessings and events, as well as precious memories, in my gratitude journal. I never stopped praying, but now I can rejoice and give thanks for the life God has given me.

Dear God,

Thank you for the gift of life, not only this brief life on Earth but also eternal life through your great sacrifice on the cross. Help us all remember that our gifts and blessings outweigh our losses and sadness. Through our faith in you, we can rejoice, pray, and give thanks in all circumstances. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Pat Scruggs.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.