What a powerful story that demonstrates how it is possible to have gratitude in trials.
I used to think that “Be grateful” was code for “Stop whining.”
The scriptures command us, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). That means everything—even the hard stuff, right?
I’ve struggled to live in a spirit of gratitude, in part because understanding what it means to be grateful in all circumstances has been an ongoing process for me.
I’ve heard people say before that they were grateful for their trials. Growing up, that was hard to wrap my mind around. How can you be grateful for something awful that happens to you? I felt discouraged when people would say things like that, because I thought it meant that if you really had faith, you would welcome every challenge with a smile and be immediately grateful, and I couldn’t do that.
Several years ago, my mom passed away from cancer, and through that experience I have begun to understand better what people mean when they say they are grateful for their trials.