Thankfulness: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This is one of my favorite verses and I've been coming back to it a lot in the last month. People keep asking me "How are you going?" with a sympathetic look and some concern, ready to give me support, encouragement, pity and understanding. They want to give me these things because I am eight months pregnant and now looking more enormous than ever.

And I could reply with the usual tirade: "I'm not sleeping, my back hurts, baby keeps moving..." blah blah blah blah. The list goes on. But I don't. It's not that I'm not these thing. In fact, I am all of these things, but the truth is, despite these things, I am so thankful for what is happening and this time in my life. Sure, I could complain (and some people would even say I have the right), but it's not what God wants me to do. In fact, he wants me to do the opposite.

I think this is why I've been so burdened by hearing about what's going on in Sudan, and Syria and plenty of other nations around the world. There is unrest, war, violence. There is drought, food shortage, people fleeing their homes. And while this is happening, people haven't put having babies on hold. There are still people out there who, like me, are eight months pregnant. Unlike me though, they may not be getting ready to give birth in a nice clean hospital.

I live in Australia. I know that when the time comes, my husband will drive me to the hospital. There will be doctors. There will be a plethora of midwives. After the baby comes, it will be checked and measured. We will be warm and fed delicious food that I didn't have to make, or find. I don't have to worry about whether or not we will have enough food. Whether there will be a doctor to look after us. That I won't make it to the refugee camp in time to have the baby because I'm walking through a desert.

What reason do I have to possibly complain in light of all God has blessed us with? So I am thankful for the discomfort, because I know the baby is alive. I rejoice that my back hurts and I'm not sleeping well, because I know it's preparing me for nights of getting up to feed a little one. Thank you Lord, that in all circumstances, you are God and you are good. Please don't let me neglect to pray for those who do not have the same comforts that I do.