Once, when working for a large aircraft manufacturing company, a supervisor came to the plane I was working on and told me I had a phone call from my wife. Now this was way before the onslaught of cell phones, so if someone was to be called at work, they would receive the call through the boss’s offices. The bosses didn’t like these calls and so the calls were strongly discouraged, except for emergencies. So now I had a phone call from my wife and I immediately became concerned. Was it my Dad, who had earlier suffered a heart attack? Was my dear wife okay? Could it be that something was wrong with my son? My heart raced as I calmly (posture for public view, a façade to my racing brain and heart) walked to the office to receive the phone call. I noticed several bosses staring at me as I approached the phone but their glare could not distract me from my worries. Knowing that I had asked my wife to never call me at work, unless there was an emergency, I was bracing myself for some unwelcome news.
It turned out that the message was urgent, but not devastating. After speaking with my wife, I hung up the phone, avoided the eyes of my bosses, and walked to a nearby water fountain to soothe my now dry mouth. It would have been easy to be upset with my wife as it was not a true emergency, however it was something that was very urgent and she did need to speak to me. At that moment the Lord taught me a lesson I will always remember, to thank God not only for the good we receive, but also for the bad we don’t receive. I was overcome with gratitude and began to repeatedly sing “I want to thank you Jesus! I want to thank you Jesus yes I do, because I know that I can’t make it by myself!” Remembering that it is He who provides for us and protects us and without His protection we would be the victims of the enemy who prowls the earth. Without the protection of God, we would be continuously tortured victims of the enemy of our souls. Yet, though we are all so undeserving, God does provide for us and protect us. Not that everything is a “slice of pie”, but even then His loving hand is with us.
So I learned to thank God not only for the blessings I receive such as a good job, health and a place to live, but also to thank Him for all the bad things that didn’t happen. Really, that is the flip side of the positive things we thank Him for. When, at the end of the day, my loved ones are safe and provided for, I thank God for His provision and protection. The flip side of that is endless bad things that could have happened and didn’t. Sometimes it is good to think of those bad things, it helps to keep me grateful and not take for granted the blessings of God. Even those who don’t claim an allegiance to God are thankful that the bad things of life have avoided them. Though they don’t know who to be thankful to, the praise and glory for their good “fate” belongs to God. God should always receive the praise. In all things, praise God!
Psalm 13:5 – But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
Psalm 68:3-4 – 3 But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. 4 Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.
IHS 12/27/13