“In Everything, Give Thanks
”
1 Thesssalonians 5:16-18
A Thanksgiving Prayer
Let us thank God:
For the OPPOSITIONS we have had to meet, the RESISTANCE that has caused us to manifest our faith in practical ways;
For the DISPUTES which have compelled us to reexamine our thoughts and eliminate the flaws;
For the STUGGLES which have caused us to spiritually mature, together with the DEFEATS which have kept us humble;
For the RISKS we have taken which have revealed our inner strengths;
For some of the ENEMIES we have made, for to have no enemies means that we have not taken issue with wrong, defied any evil, or rallied to the defense of the oppressed;
For our CRITICS who tell us the truth about ourselves.
Above all, let us thank God that good has often come out of evil; that struggles we would have preferred to avoid have turned into blessings; that confident in His love and goodness, we have found strength and courage to face whatever comes—to “run with perseverance the race set before us” (Letter to the Hebrews, 12:1) in the arena of life.
Take your life AS IT IS and Give THANKS in EVERYTHING! Always! It is the will of God!
….From the bulletin of St. Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church, Lake Worth, Florida