Gratitude in a Season of Lament
Lamentations 3:20-24
“I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.
Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:
The faithful love of the LORD never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”
As I write this article, I’m in a very real season of grief. We’ve recently experienced a death in our family with the passing of my father-in-law. In all honesty, I’m weary. I’m worn out. Worn out from tears . . . worn out from talking . . . worn out from visitors. I’m worn out from a heavy heart.
While everything in me just wants to sit and sulk, I’ve learned from past losses in my life that gratitude really is the best medicine for a hurting heart. Thanksgiving can lift a soul’s spirit like nothing else can. So, in this present moment, and in the days to come, I choose gratitude.
I choose to be thankful for the time we had with my father-in-law. I’m thankful for the 30 years that my husband got to watch him and learn from him as his earthly dad. I’m thankful for the 6 years that I was able to know him. I’m thankful for the year that my own son was loved by him as his grandfather.
And I choose also to be thankful for the people who are with me in this lament. I’m thankful for those friends who text, call and come by to visit. I’m thankful for the notes written and the meals given. I’m thankful for the care given to my child. I’m thankful for my family members who are here walking through this journey with me. And most of all, I’m thankful for my God who is my stronghold. He is my refuge, my strength, and my always present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).
We can experience loss in many ways though, not just by the death of a loved one. It could take form in disappointment, declining health, a broken relationship, financial hardship, or countless other types of suffering that this world brings. I don’t know what type of lament you are wading through right now, but I do know that choosing to focus on God’s provisions rather than our present hardships bring joy and remind us that He is faithful through all of it.
Choosing gratitude during times of suffering requires great discipline. It’s easy to be thankful when things are going well, but when life shakes us, turning to God in thanksgiving is an act of faith. It takes physically calling out to God, humbly bowing our hearts before him, prayerfully laying our burdens down at his feet, and then praising him with thanksgiving simply for who He is. But we cannot do this on our own. This posture of turning toward God in difficult times can only be accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit within us.
So, whatever loss you may be lamenting right now, my prayer is that you would ask the Holy Spirit for strength to turn toward the Lord in gratitude. I am with you. Let’s do this together.
Father,
We ask you to show us daily reminders of who you are and give us the strength to respond to you with gratitude, even in our current circumstances.
Amen.
Meet Kaitlyn Fiedler
Kaitlyn Fiedler lives near Greenville, SC with her husband and baby boy. She spends her days studying for her seminary classes and simply enjoying her days being a wife, a biological mom, and a new foster mom. She writes regularly about faith and womanhood on her blog, A Beautiful Belonging.
Where to find her . . .
Begin Within is a series to inspire a year-round lifestyle of gratitude that will impact not only your own life, but the lives of your neighbors as well. Gratitude is a theme we talk about often around here because it ties so closely into other missional living rhythms. Practicing gratitude reminds to keep our hearts soft and expectant and our eyes open. Therefore, the more we embrace gratitude, the easier it becomes to truly see our neighbors and where we can join what God is already doing in our neighborhoods.
My vision for this gratitude series is to help others embrace a year-round lifestyle of gratitude that will impact not only their own life, but the lives of their neighbors as well.
If you would like to contribute to Begin Within, you can find the submission guidelines here.
Creating Ripples
If you would like to cultivate rhythms in addition to gratitude that will empower you live on mission in your neighborhood, check out Cultivating a Missional Life: A 30-Day Devotional to Gently Help You Open Your Heart, Home, and Life to Your Neighbors. This small book will help you make a big impact in your neighborhood as you learn to let missional living flow from the inside out. Get the 30-day missional living challenge free when you purchase the book.
