Gratitude - 1 Thessalonians 5 (Day 4)

1 Thes 5:16-18 Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is Godʼs will for you in Christ Jesus.NET Bible

This morning I was listening to my friend Bill give the Gratitude talk at the Outback camp. I was reminded of the importance of an attitude of gratitude. He told several stories of people who went through hard times; found God in those dark places, but were grateful none the less. Most importantly, he told the story of our friend Mike who gave the Gratitude talk last year, even in the midst of a battle against cancer. 

Mike had a wonderful attitude, and was always careful to be thankful to God in the midst of his struggles. Mike would say that he was grateful for cancer because it brought him closer to God. Not that he was glad to be sick, but through the struggle, he was able to come closer to God and his family than he ever was before. Mike was grateful and encouraging, even though he was in great pain, and indeed went directly to the hospital a few days later, and passed on shortly thereafter.

The next week, hundreds of people gathered at the same camp ground to celebrate Mike’s life and to share the encouragement that he had been.  His attitude of gratitude, even in the midst of terminal cancer, affected hundreds of people for the good.  His infectious attitude drew many hundreds of people to a closer walk with Jesus. What a testimony of a life lived for God, a life lived in gratitude.

What does that have to do with retirement you may ask? Well, retirement is just one of those important events in life; one in which there are gains and losses.  But even where there are losses and maybe even pain, it is important to be grateful to God the Father who leads us and guides us through all of life’s trials. We are grateful for the changes (and “all people regard all change as loss”, to quote a former pastor of mine) and are thankful for the changes that are worked in our life. We remember that all things work together for good for those who love Him, and are grateful. There are things about working at IP that I will miss, and people that I won’t be as close to, but I’m looking forward to the changes the the Lord will work in my life as I strive to face this transition with an attitude of gratitude.