Gratitude in the Midst of Grief

I have realized lately that the less I complain, the more content I am. The more thankful I am for the blessings that come each day, the more content I seem to be throughout my day. There’s a reason God commands us to “give thanks in everything.” If we obey this verse, we are more likely to obey the verses in Philippians chapter 4 that say “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am… I am able to do all things through Christ that strengthens me.” I have been choosing to thank God in the little things and the big things, but especially throughout my grief.

My husband and I lost a baby in November 2017. That was one of the hardest things I have ever had to go through. I will probably write a blog post describing what happened one day, but right now it is just too soon. One thing I have been learning through that experience, though, is how to be grateful in the midst of grief. Being thankful to the Lord when I am really having a hard time emotionally is one of the things that has truly brought me the most healing. There are times when I just break down and cry. I think about those few traumatic days and my sweet baby quite regularly. When I am in my darkest moments, I thank the Lord for giving me that precious life instead of blaming Him for what happened. I thank Him for the life that my baby did have, even though it was roughly just seven weeks. I praise Him because I know Jason and I will get to meet our child one day, and I am filled with such joy knowing that our child got to see the face of Jesus before we did! I mean if I honestly think about it, what better place is there for my child to be than with Jesus, where there is no tears, no sin and no death? When I think about the situation from that perspective, I am filled with gratitude to my Lord for all He has done for me. But most importantly, I am thankful to God for saving my soul and showing me the truth. He revealed Himself to me and forgave my sins, and that is what I am most thankful for. Nothing in this world even comes close in comparison to that gift.

So when you are going through a hard time or even having the time of your life, I want to encourage you to give God thanks in every circumstance. Obey His Word and follow what He says. He knows way more than we do, and we can trust that obeying Him will reap eternal rewards.

The verses I used in this post were:

1 Thessalonians 5:18— “Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:11-13— “I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in every circumstance I am. I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content— whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

#grief #emotions #miscarriage #losingababy #gratitude #thankfulness