I’ve seen this season of the year referred to as  “Hallothanksmas.”   Even with “Thanks” in the middle, our society often seems eager to skip Thanksgiving altogether. But giving thanks is essential to our spiritual health.  It has been said that gratitude is the quintessential religious emotion. 

It is also true that giving thanks can be hard  because living is often hard. Living is hard when we or loved ones battle illness.  Living is hard when we struggle with finances.  Living is hard for some when Congress finds itself in a stalemate and jobs are put on hold or needed benefits are taken away.  How do we give thanks when living is hard? 

There are no easy answers, but we do have Scripture to point us in the right direction.  Several years ago, someone gave me a plaque with Paul’s words from Romans 12.12:  “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.”  I find these words, along with those from the next verse, Romans 12.13, to be helpful guidelines for Giving Thanks When Living Is Hard. 

                                                                                       Tim    

1. Hand sanitation stations are posted at the entrances.
2. No communion or offering trays will be passed (pre-packed communion kits are at each chair; an offering box is on the back wall).