“Gratitude in the midst of death, divorce, and debt – that’s the language I’ve got to learn to speak – because that’s the kind of life I’m living, the kind I have to solve.” – Ann Voskamp

What if we met the Lord with gratitude, right away, before He even had a chance to speak? What if, as we approached God, we would run to the throne of heaven, throw ourselves at his feet, and simply bless him? As we go about living, we, for some reason, think we need to give up something in order to feel grateful, or receive God’s blessings. We feel we need to fast, to repent, to turn over an offering; feel we need to stop something, start something – earn the Lord’s love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy.

But that’s not what scripture says.

Romans 5:8 says God didn’t wait for us to turn to him before he loved us:  "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

We don’t have to first give in order to receive God’s love. Likewise, we don’t have to give up our pain, trials, frustrations, or tribulations in order to feel gratitude. That’s the great challenge of life – to learn how to be grateful even when we don’t feel like we deserve what we get, even when we are distracted and disparaged. When we hear the verse, “we love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19), some of us put God in this category of indebtedness – we love him because we should, because He gives us so much first, because we owe him. We feel like we have to be better, or worthy, in order to come to him.

But we don’t have to be perfect to be grateful. And we don’t have to set aside an offering just to praise him. Praise is the offering. When things are hard and desperate – death, divorce, and debt – we tend to come to the Lord with our tail between our legs…or not at all. As our quote above shared, we have to learn a different language. We have to become accustomed to starting our approach to God with gratitude no matter what our circumstance. While that may not be easy, it is a discipline of our faith to “lean not on our own understanding”, and “trust in the Lord with all of our heart” (Proverbs 3:5). While we are doing that, don’t worry about being “perfect”, “at peace”, or in “power”. Start by acknowledging who God is, and in the midst of your chaos, thank him for it.

Psalm 34:18 shares, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Praise him in the pain. Praise him for the pain. God is still working, still with us, even when it hurts. Peace and comfort come to those who lean on the Lord’s presence in the worst experiences.

There’s never a wrong time to show the Lord our gratitude.

If it’s hard to find the words today, try this prayer:
Lord, I may be hurting, but you are good. Everything may not be perfect, but YOU are perfect. You are healer, comforter, Father, and friend. You are counsellor, creator, ruler, and Lord. I give you all the praise and glory for everything – good and bad; for the parts of my body that work and for the parts that don’t work so well. For the peaceful times and for the painful times. Thank you, Lord, for your Spirit within me Who makes me whole despite all things. Thank you, Lord, for promising a better future. Thank you for listening, watching, and never leaving me. A dewdrop of your presence fills the oceans, and I come to you with gratitude in my heart for every splash. Thank you for this day, for this moment. Thank you for loving me, for your never-ending faithfulness, righteousness, and holiness. I pray you receive my love in return and I pour it out. I love you, Lord. Thank you…Thank you. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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