Thanksgiving is happening this week! That means hot rolls, sweet potato casserole, and apple pie…oh, and giving thanks.
Last year, I wrote about three things that I wasn’t thankful for. For this post, I’m going to share two more things that I’m not thankful for:
1. Change
I hate change. It is quite disruptive. Yet somehow, it seems like my life is always changing. Ever since I became a tween, every year has looked different. And based on what older adults have told me, life won’t stop changing when I get older.
My life changed when my childhood friend moved away in middle school, when I got my driver’s license as a teenager, and when I started college a couple years ago. Currently, my life changes every semester when I start new classes and get a new schedule. Life will change if/when I find a job after college, get married, and have children.
Perhaps you feel the same way—like your life is constantly changing and upheaval is a common theme. Maybe you’ve moved five times in the past decade. Maybe you’ve faced a series of pregnancies and miscarriages since getting married. Maybe you’ve changed friend groups multiple times but haven’t found any close friends. Maybe you’ve been promoted or demoted at work too many times to count.
I get it. Change is hard, and I’m not very thankful for it. But we can be thankful for this:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:7 NKJV)
This truth should bring us peace when our world feels chaotic and overwhelming. Jesus never changes. Neither does His character, His love, or His power. So when life is changing constantly, remember that He’s constant.
2. Adulthood
This relates to change, of course. But becoming an adult is a unique kind of change. Entering adulthood means getting a boring job that you hate, waiting an eternity to meet your future husband, and always feeling exhausted by your rowdy kids. Right?
At least, that’s the picture that I have of adulthood. This past summer, I got a taste of adulthood when I had my first full-time internship. I had to wear uncomfortable dress pants, sit at a desk for long periods of time, and wake up at the crack of dawn. And I was bored to tears.
Of course, don’t forget to throw in whatever else is on your plate, like PMS, a nasty breakup, expensive car repairs, chronic migraines, or loneliness. That’s adulthood. Sometimes, I just want to be a kid forever.
Unfortunately, I can’t just turn on Veggie Tales and eat Goldfish to make adulthood disappear. Adulthood is going to happen to you (if it hasn’t already), and it’s happening to me right now. That’s why we can be thankful for this:
Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. (Psalm 55:12 NASB)
As I’m sure you’ve heard before, God doesn’t promise us an easy life. He doesn’t promise to give us an exciting job or zero pain or lots of money. However, He does promise to sustain the righteous. That comforting promise should produce gratitude in our hearts.
Closing Thoughts
Maybe Thanksgiving is going to be especially hard for you this year. Perhaps you’re going through something really difficult and don’t feel like being thankful. But you’re not alone. God’s unchanging nature and His promise to sustain the righteous are two reasons that we can—and should—be thankful to Him no matter what we’re currently going through.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 