– Joe Fornear
A week doesn’t go by without someone writing or telling me they’re thankful for their cancer. 
Now during my Stage IV cancer journey, I don’t ever recall thanking Him for cancer. Still, I had moments of genuine gratitude; not for the cancer, but despite the beat down of the battle.
Last week, we discussed the 1st Key to thankfulness when you don’t feel like it – Determine to Be Thankful. But a huge stumbling block to this determination is the stubborn belief that thankfulness is a result of trouble-free existence. “I’d like to be thankful, but everything keeps breaking down around this house.” “I’d like to be thankful, but God hasn’t fulfilled my greatest need yet.” Now, there will come a day when those who have Christ will be trouble-free, but for now, we need the 2nd Key to thankfulness when you don’t feel like it:
2) Believe I can be thankful in any situation. Job believed he could overcome despite tragedies in his life. He praised the Lord after losing his livestock and his 10 children… all in a single day. Yet his troubles were just beginning. He contracted a horrible skin disease which racked him with unbearable pain. That’s when his “friends” showed up, supposedly to encourage him, but soon accusing him of secret sins which led to what they considered God’s punishment.
So Job was understandably crushed – physically, spiritually and relationally. Yet he thanked the Lord despite what must be the all-time record set of horrific circumstances. He said,
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” – Job 1:21
How, how in the world did he attain such other-worldly faith and strength? The answer is our 3rd Key to thankfulness when you don’t feel like it:
3) Depend on God’s supernatural power to be thankful in every situation. Certainly thankfulness is humanly impossible in many situations, such as a rough cancer battle or the passing of a beloved. But this is where the Lord is waiting to catch us – at the end of our rope. So we return to Paul & God’s prayer for us in Colossians 3:11-12:
May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father.
Paul recognized the importance of thankfulness in his constant troubles – imprisonments, beatings and stonings. Yet as his prayer indicates, he also knew the transforming power of God to enable him to offer up “joyous” thanks.
So may this Thanksgiving be different for us. By all means, let’s enjoy those positive reasons that we’re thankful. But let’s also identify something this year that has been difficult, and by His power, thank Him in the midst of it or even despite it. Enjoy Him this week!
Interesting. People tell you they’re thankful for their cancer? Do people also tell you their thankful when their children have cancer – are they thankful for that cancer, too?
Good question, Emily. I never had anyone tell me they’re thankful for their child’s cancer. They tell me they wish they had it and not their child.