In Everything Give Thanks, by Donna Rich
“Mama, is today the day the pawn shop’s open?”
I stood, frozen, in my kitchen as I heard those words come out of my fourth-grader’s mouth. I could not believe it. She must have heard me and her stepfather talking about pawning the old DVDs stacked a mile high in our bedroom closet. My heart sank. I turned to her, finally, lifting her tiny chin gently so I could look her straight in the eyes. “Caroline, honey, you don’t need to worry about that,” I said softly, willing myself not to burst into tears. “Everything’s okay.” That night, when she and her two big sisters were in bed, I told Dave I was going for a walk on the beach. I needed to talk to God. I saw our neighbors, coming over just that morning with spaghetti, brownies and grape juice. I saw the $20 bill my mother sent that afternoon. I saw the faces of Caroline and her sisters, shining and healthy and strong. I saw our car, paid for, and our dear old house, shabby but precious, just seconds from our beloved sea. A verse came to mind: “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

God whispered to me, “Can you just thank Me?”

I said yes to Him that night, and He has helped me to carry on the act of giving thanks ever since. Our situation hasn’t changed outwardly, but inwardly, I have discovered that “peace that passes understanding” in a whole new way.

Now, when bills pile up and the food is low, I thank Him for it anyway, trusting that He is God and He knows what He is doing. I also thank Him for the good things, things I now appreciate so much more deeply: that my children are healthy, that I don’t have a child with leukemia, and I thank Him that we are not homeless, which is becoming such a real problem nowadays.

I’m still scared at times, but I try to thank Him now every single day. And you know what? We still haven’t had to pawn those old DVDs.  God’s taking care of us!