A couple of years ago I served as a chaplain in a hospital as part of my seminary education. It was both a stressful and sacred experience for me. It was stressful because I was walking into hospital rooms and into the lives of patients and their families during some of the hardest moments in their lives, but it was a sacred experience for the exact same reason. During my time as a chaplain I sat with families after the death of a loved one, with patients who had just received a diagnosis, and with patients undergoing difficult recoveries such as learning to walk again after a stroke.
Each patient had a unique story and I learned something from many of my patients, but I remember one patient in particular whose story touched me. That day as I was finishing up lunch in the chaplain’s office the phone rang and a nurse told me about a patient on the 6th floor who was requesting a chaplain. Pulling up the patient’s chart on my computer, I learned that she was 24 years old and had just been diagnosed with cancer. It struck me right away—this poor girl, right about my age—diagnosed with cancer. This was certainly a life-changing moment for her and she wanted the chaplain—me—to go in and accompany her in this moment. What if she asked me why this was happening to her? What could I possibly do or say?
Saying a quick prayer to myself, I gathered my chaplaincy book and Bible and headed to the 6th floor. Entering into the patient’s room I introduced myself to the patient—she was a beautiful and charismatic young lady, and I could tell right away that she was the kind of person other people noticed and admired. Getting to know this young lady, I learned that she came from a supportive family and was recently engaged to her longtime boyfriend. She was dreaming of a long and happy life full of possibilities, and now out of nowhere she was facing cancer.
If I was her I would have been absolutely devastated, and yet, she wasn’t. There were some tears but she also was determined. As I spoke with her she talked about hope, and faith, and she surprised me with just how gosh darn thankful she was. Yes, she was facing this huge event in her life and she didn’t know the outcome, but she felt God’s presence with her and God was going to walk with her all the way. She was counting all of her blessings—her family, her fiancé, the doctors, and even me, the chaplain sitting in her hospital room and listening to her story. We talked for awhile, we read scripture together and we prayed, and then it was time for me to go.
I walked out of her hospital room feeling humbled at the depth of this young lady’s faith. I certainly learned what thankfulness looked like that day. I learned that thankfulness is not based on our circumstances, and it is more than the warm fuzzy feeling we get after we eat turkey with family. Instead, thankfulness is grounded in what God has already done, and found in the confidence of God’s everlasting promises.
Paul in the Bible speaks about this same kind of thankfulness. Our reading for today comes from the book of Philippians. The book is a letter written by Paul and as he writes this letter he is sitting in prison and nearing death. Paul himself is in a pretty devastating place, and yet we hear the hope and assurance in Paul’s words as he writes to the church in Philippi. Multiple times in the letter he speaks about thanksgiving, joy in God and perseverance in the Gospel. Paul’s thankfulness is not based on his circumstances, but rather his reassurance in the Risen Christ. In fact, throughout the New Testament we witness Paul’s conviction and determination in thanksgiving of the Gospel. He is imprisoned, run out of town, almost stoned—he really does suffer for the sake of the Gospel—and yet he does not give up. He gives thanks for what God has done and keeps moving forward living into those promises and sharing them with others.
As Christians we can have the same confidence in God’s promises. Scripture reassures that each one of us is a beloved Child of God, created in God’s image and blessed with unique gifts. We are not promised easy or pain-free lives, but God does promise to be with us in all that we face. If you are facing something difficult in your life today or struggling to feel thankful, be reassured that these promises are for you too. Christ lived, died and resurrected so that we can be forgiven and reconciled to God forever, so there is nothing and no one that can separate us from God’s love. We can never go too far from God’s grace. Our ending has been secured and in this life we are free to live to be a blessing to others.
Let us rejoice in the Lord always and live into this hope. May we trust in God, praying boldly and knowing that we are heard. May our actions reflect God’s love for all people, and may we be joyful heralds of this awesome message. Let us give thanks and praise to God, for God is good. Amen.