Years ago, when reading a nostalgia magazine, I found an interesting advertisement with a puzzling headline: Hooray! It’s the Depression!
At first reading, that didn’t sound right. Was the writer saying they were excited and happy about a hard time in our country’s history? But then, when I read the subheading and saw the entire phrase, it made sense. The whole ad read: Hooray—It’s the Depression! And wasn’t the music wonderful? The advertiser was selling CDs and tapes from the Big Band era.
Yet I still wondered whether it was possible to look back at a time of struggle and be happy about it. Of course, we can certainly be happy when the battle ends, but we can also be grateful during the struggle. And not just thankful that it’s over, but for the entire experience.
Paul directs us to think that way. And apparently he includes the hard times in his “be thankful” directive.
Why would God ask us to do that? Because only by looking back can we comprehend His presence and work during our problems. Often, we only understand when everything is over. As we look back, we can be grateful for it all.
Remember to be thankful to God for everything, in the good and bad times.
Anne Adams is a retired church staffer living in Athens, Texas, where she writes a historical column for the local newspaper. Her book Brittany, Child of Joy, tells about her mentally disabled daughter and was published in 1986 by Broadman. She has taught junior college history and has published in Christian and secular publications for forty years.