Give Thanks For Everything

By Katie Nall, Ph.D.

November is standardly known for thanksgiving. Each of us can think of something dear to our hearts to thank.

What if we were to suggest to thank those people, places, and events that were not dear to our hearts? You know the ones that cause us types of pain. What if we could find something, anything about that person, place, or event that we could thank?

One day a lady in a large car pulled out right in front of me while I was driving in a 6-lane highway, causing my Jeep to plow into the passenger side of her car. Thankfully I was driving under 40 mph and had my seatbelt on. Neither me, my passenger, nor the other driver was injured.

But the front end of my 12- year- old Jeep was torn up as a result. As I am in the habit of doing, I gave thanks for all. Obviously, I was grateful no one was hurt.

Thankfully, her generous insurance paid for all the damages.

When my car was ready, the mechanic said I was one lucky driver. Yes, I agreed – no one was hurt.

No, lady, your front axle was ready to fall apart. The other driver’s insurance paid to replace yours. If it collapsed while you were driving on the Interstate, you would have been in a world of trouble.

I thought I had given thanks for everyone’s safety, when my gratitude could have been extended to give thanks for the accident at all!

We each have painful events in our lives. What comfort might you receive in searching for something, anything in those painful events to be thankful for? What harm would there be in giving thanks for allthings?