In honor of Thanksgiving this weekend, I decided to look up the definition of the word “thankful”. The dictionary.com widget on the computer defined it as “pleased and relieved”. I found it interesting that thankful = relieved.
For example, if I’m thankful, I have relief from anxiousness. It reminds me of the verse in Philippians that says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” This frees me to rise above my circumstances and not be bogged down with worry. God relieves me of worry and despair.
There was a man named Horatio Spafford who lived in the 1800s. His life is a picture of true thankfulness to God. He suffered unimaginable pain in his lifetime, but out of that pain was born a famous hymn. Here is a summary of his life (taken from Wikipedia):
“The first [traumatic event] was the death of his only son in 1871, shortly followed by the great Chicago Fire which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer). Then in 1873, he had planned to travel to Europe with his family on the S.S. Ville du Havre, but sent the family ahead while he was delayed on business. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with another ship, and all four of Spafford’s daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone.” Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died…
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, You have taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.”
Click this link to listen to this awesome song, sung by Chris Rice: