Dear Missionary Families,
At this time of year when we join with others in celebration of Thanksgiving, our attention is turned to thinking about what we are thankful for. All of us can probably rattle off a list of people and circumstances in our lives that we give thanks for, but do we live as thankful people in a way that permeates those hard and difficult days when the burdens and crises of life come crashing in?
You may be thankful that your loved one has felt called to mission work and sharing the Gospel, but as the years go on and you get tired of the goodbyes, tired of your loved one missing out on so many family celebrations, and tired of the never ending question from others – “how long is ______ going to be overseas?”– the felt thankfulness may start to wane. Does it really matter? Do we need to be thankful all the time? Aren’t we allowed to feel sad and to miss those we love?
The Lord knows we are human and will experience sadness, fear, and every other human emotion. And, yes, it is okay to miss our loved ones. But God wants us to have a deep and abiding thankfulness that He knows will permeate those times of doubt.
Oftentimes, fear is the enemy of thankfulness. Sources vary, but the words “thankful” or “thanksgiving,” variations of the word “gratitude,” appear between 150 and 170 times in the Bible. But being thankful is not mentioned in the Bible as much as “fear” which appears 365 times. I think God knows we face fear daily, so 365 times to mention it seems appropriate.
Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Here God gives us an antidote to fear – prayer in which we ask God with thanksgiving for what we need.
Remember that list of things and people you are thankful for? Those often come easily because we already have them or have experienced them. But fear is usually centered on the future and the unknown. How can we be thankful for what we do not yet know or have not yet seen?
In an article put out by Mayo Clinic, having a “happy brain” requires “gratitude” (“A Very Happy Brain,” MayoClinic.org). Why is that? Well, researchers at Mayo say that our brains “feel the pain of others like it is our own,” thus firing the same neurons when we are in despair and when someone is hurting that we care about. Also, for our brains, “imaginary is real.” Thus, our brains react the same way to things we may fear as to the bad things that actually happen. Finally, “the brain can’t tell physical pain from emotional hurts.” So, our sad or fearful emotions affect our brains like any physical injury. God, of course, already knew all of this about our brains because He made them. So, God knows that when we bring all our emotional pain, fear, and despair to Him with thanksgiving that the next verse in Philippians 4 will be a reality: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7).
This year, my son started his eighth year on the mission field. We thoroughly enjoyed his recent furlough and the family time we experienced. But when the time came to say “goodbye” again, I struggled more than I have in years. I know he is right where God wants him to be, and I am very thankful for that. But I am tired of the goodbyes and there is a lot about the future that is unknown and unsettling to this mama heart. I cried a lot the day he left and felt myself settling into a non-thankful place. But God reminded me I can trust Him and by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, the peace of God would guard my heart and mind even for all I do not know or understand. The peace did not come immediately, but our Lord who is patient and kind helped me, and is still helping me, to daily bring my sadness, my fears, and all the unknowns to Him in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.
So, yes, we can be thankful for what we do not yet know and have not yet seen because our God is the antidote to fear and the reason for Thanksgiving.
