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Everyday Thanksgiving

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
PHILIPPIANS 4:4, 5b-7 NIV

I wish I could show you the picture that’s on my computer screen right now. It’s of my 3-year-old nephew, whose parents are avid birdwatchers. On the chilly autumn day when the photo was taken, my nephew was birdwatchingwith them. His cheeks and hands are bright pink. He’s holding onto the edge of a huge set of binoculars, and he has clearly just looked through the viewfinder to spot a bright, colorful bird. In the moment that was caught on film, he’s smiling at the camera with the most joyful, open-mouthed smile a 3-year-old can muster—Which, as you can imagine, is pretty joyful.

This, to me, is the picture of childlike faith. It’s that pure, no-question knowing that life is full of the awesome work of God. It’s waking up in the morning expecting God to bless your day—and walking around with an attitude of thankfulness, whether things are going the way you want them to or not. I know this is easier said than done. In fact, on a walk this morning, I caught myself wishing quite a few things were not as they are. But then (thanks to a friend, who texted this encouraging verse to me yesterday) I remembered Paul’s words in Philippians 4. Paul told the Philippians that thankful prayer, without worry, will lead to the peace of God. That sure seems like a good trade to me—my worries for God’s peace. And since it’s a promise, and since He’s God, I know I can trust it to be true.

I heard a sermon the other day in which the pastor said if you want the peace that passesall understanding, you have to give up your right to understand. You have to let go, to trust—to be like a child, expecting for the good things of God to come. It seems just like the Father to ask us to rest in His presence. To peek through the viewfinder of His peace, and give Him a great big, childlike, joyful grin at the things He’s put in the world for us to appreciate. That’s my goal. To see everyday as a day of thanksgiving. To give up my right to understand, and to just smile like a pink-cheeked child at God’s blessings. I think that makes Him smile, too.

—By Trieste Van Wyngarden

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