Being less panicky and more thankful

CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON

“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue but the parent of

all other virtues.”

-- CICERO

“There is no circumstance, no trouble, no testing, that can ever

touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ,

right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a

great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment. But I refuse

to become panicky, as I lift up my eyes to him and accept it as

coming from the throne of God for some great purpose of blessing to

my own heart.”

-- ALAN REDPATH

I hope that you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving, and that your heart

and souls are more full of joy than your stomachs are of turkey,

dressing and pie. I love turkey, dressing and pie, and all the other

delights that are part of the day for many people, but Thanksgiving

is about more than food. There were so many things I enjoyed about

Thanksgiving Day and the rest of the weekend, but one of my favorites

was hearing what other people were thankful for in their lives.

We went to a Thanksgiving service at church, and we were given a

piece of paper that said, “Never forget the good things He does.”

Underneath was a partial list of some of the good things God does for

us. I liked being reminded that God forgives, heals, is merciful and

gracious, slow to get angry, loves unconditionally, removes our sin,

is a tender and compassionate Father, rules over everything, and much

more.

I began thinking of what I would write on my list. Besides the

ones above, I wrote: family, friends, God’s patience and second

chances, but then stopped when other people went forward to share

from the front. One woman was thankful for God’s faithfulness to her,

especially when she wasn’t faithful to Him. I nodded in agreement.

One man was grateful for reconciliation in families, health and the

end of a lawsuit. What a wonderful change for him. Others loved the

power of prayer and hope. I’m grateful that God offers us those gifts

every day.

We all smiled as brave children marched forward. One little boy

was thankful for his dad and that he played with him. A little girl

seated near us looked up and smiled at both her parents, and I heard

a young boy say, “I’m thankful for my sister, even if she is a girl.”

Several other children with big smiles and surprising composure

thanked God for family, food, friends and pets. Some of the responses

brought nods and smiles around the room, while other brought tears.

The service gave me the feeling that I was part of an extended

family.

One woman thanked God for her curly hair after beating cancer

twice. Another was grateful for being free from drug addiction and

out of jail.

There were more amazing stories, but one woman’s answer summed it

up well. She said, “I love being reminded that I’m not the only one

who doesn’t have it all together.” We all laughed.

Nobody has it all together, and we all face challenging

circumstances in life. But if we can trust in God’s goodness and

faithfulness, perhaps we, too, can be less panicky and more thankful.

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at

[email protected] or through the mail at 537 Newport Center Drive,

Suite 505, Newport Beach, CA 92660.