We’ve been practicing thankfulness in our daily interactions and lifestyle. It’s so powerful and can combat the worst of circumstances. When Caleb gets home from work each day we both say three things that we are thankful for from the day. Although this can be difficult some days. One of my favorite books, “The Hiding Place” by Corrie Ten Boom, is a true story about a family that goes through the Holocaust in WWII because they helped Jews escape from the Nazis. This is my favorite part from the book: Corrie and her sister Betsie were forced to move to another concentration camp. Corrie thought that nothing could be worst than the last. They read in their Bible “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:18 the morning before they left. The women were stripped, hosed down and all the little belongings they had taken from them. But because of a miracle of God they didn’t find the Bible. The new concentration camp was way worst than the first. Feces covered the area and fleas encompassing their new room. That night Betsie asked Corrie to say what she was thankful for, putting into practice the verse they had read that morning. But how? Betsie started saying she was thankful to be with her sister, then Corrie said she was thankful for their Bible, then Bestsie thanked God for the fleas. Corrie was so confused by this and questioned her sister. But it turns out that because the fleas it kept the German soldiers out of the sleeping quarters, they refused to go in there because of how bad it was. And so they were able to hold Bible studies, and play games, and sing because of the lack of a German presence where they slept. In the worst of circumstances joy, hope and laughter filled that room and many came to believe in Jesus and smile again. It is all about perspective, there are so many things in life to be thankful for. Things that even in the moment feel or sound terrible, but if we choose to be thankful, we can see the purpose of what is going on, and how God can use it for a better purpose than we see in that moment. What are you thankful for today? We love hearing from you!
