On giving thanks

There are many, many verses in the Bible about thanksgiving and how we are to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving. We ought to be thankful in everything. Some are listed below.

Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God. ~ ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭50:14-15, 23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God ~ ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. ~ ‭‭Jonah‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Remember the saying, "if given lemons, make lemonade"? That is exactly what Thanksgiving does. My task was to be grateful for cancer and chemo. Thanksgiving involves giving thanks to someone else. I chose to give thanks to God / Jesus Christ. Questions arose as to why give him thanks for something he didn't cause to happen? If anything, I am responsible for everything that happens to me directly or indirectly. So why should he be responsible? I am reminded of the book of Job in the Old Testament. God and Satan were discussing Job. God wanted to promote him. Satan wanted to destroy him. God wants to promote everyone as long as we cling to him. Satan wants to destroy everyone who loves God. I concluded that God allowed it for specific reasons. And he does work everything together for good for those who love him. ~ Romans 8:28. I tested myself to see if I love God. Then I submitted to him and thank him daily for cancer and chemo. The transformation began to happen. My attitude changed. I noticed my days are more peaceful because I was peaceful. I complained less. I can see a different perspective on things. Perhaps cancer and chemo are a nightmare, but I've grown and matured on the inside. Things that used to aggravate me do so no longer. There is more to life than eating, drinking, and money. There is joy, peace, and love. There are friendships and relationships that are priceless. There is contentment.

Perhaps life handed you lemons. What will you do with them? Curl up and die or make lemonade? I chose lemonade. It tastes better. Here is a challenge for you if you choose to accept it. Find the worst situation or the person(s) to deal with and thank God for them daily. Do this for about a month or two and see if there are any changes. Notate the changes and share the results if you wish.God bless you.