“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thess. 5:18) 

Just as turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie are part of our Thanksgiving tradition, so is going around the table to give an expression of thanks. Adults and children alike are enjoined to come up with something to thank God for over the past year. 

Typically, those gathered will thank God for family. Less typical will be expressions of gratitude for some life event, such as job promotions or home purchases. 

What you don’t often hear is thanks given for things like health problems or financial troubles or some other unwelcome event that made life difficult. Yet, does not God want us to give thanks in all things? In fact, His instruction is made all the more emphatic when He adds: “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:18). 

With that in mind, I decided to take a different approach to thanks giving this year. With the feast spread before us and our plates brimming with delectables, their aromas arousing our salivary glands and setting our stomachs to clamor, I gave an unusual instruction prior to saying grace. 

After explaining God’s direction to give thanks in all things, I urged each of those seated to share of some hardship or disappointment and to give thanks to God for it and then to explain why. 

While we dug in to our feast, I broke the ice by describing a potential disappointment but finding great consolation and even contentment in God’s providence. I trusted He would provide and that provision would be for the best. 

Those assembled caught on quickly. Amazingly, my 15 year old granddaughter volunteered to go next (even though that violated the clockwise pattern I had planned). She described a painful breakup with a boyfriend and spoke of God’s strength to help her through it. I admit to being a bit shocked since the subject was so painful and recent for her. 

Silence lingered loud but that was because my clockwise plan had been thwarted and no one knew who should go next. With great leadership I turned to the person seated to my left and asked him to share. From him we would go around the table. 

The sharing was remarkable. Several people described challenges, disappointments, and adversities they had experienced or were in the midst of dealing with. One person opened up to speak of acute anxiety and of God’s comfort and strength in the thick of it. One of my grandkids did go the “thankful for family” route, but that was perfectly fine. 

With each telling of hardship came lessons learned or expressions of trust in God. Each “negative” was seasoned with thanks and savored by all those present. Person after person, story after story related by young and old fed the souls of those gathered, giving glory to God. 

What can often be a perfunctory exercise became an extraordinary experience. We got to know one another better and heightened our family bond. And in a very real way, we got to know our God better as testimonies to His goodness and grace were lifted up. 

It might even be appropriate to say that the time of sober sharing made it a particularly Christian thanksgiving, because we carried out the will of God in Christ Jesus for us - giving thanks in all things. 

Is there anything you have omitted from your plate of thanks?