Photo Album of His Goodness

Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits.

1 Thessalonians 5:18, Ephesians 5:20  BSB,   Psalm 103:2 NABS 1995

Are you old enough to remember those old-fashioned photo albums with sticky pages and clear plastic cling? The adhesive worked so well, that if you attempted to remove years’ old photos, you might end up with half a picture of Uncle Fred. One thing’s for sure, you weren’t going to lose your pics in a cloud!

All of us have struggles and seasons of difficulty. Some of us have experienced sharp moments of pain that felt like a piercing of our very soul. Many years ago, as I struggled through seasons of devastating challenge, disappointment and loss, the idea of being thankful left me … well… at a loss. Finding it much easier to spot areas where I felt God had let me down, rather than things to be grateful for. I could count my many disappointments and trials much easier than my blessings. Painfully and embarrassingly honest. 

That’s where the photo album comes in.

I determined to make a record of every little blessing I could think of. A memory album of God’s faithfulness to me. Something tangible I could pull out and look at when ungratefulness crept back into my heart. When life’s difficulties seem to eclipse life’s blessings. I could hold it in my hands. (These decades later, I still have that album). I also reread the auto-biography of Nazi concentration camp survivor, Corrie ten Boom, which gave me a new appreciation for a warm blanket, a cup of hot coffee and my own Bible to read. It was also around this time that I took our oldest son to serve with me at a Salvation Army Thanksgiving give-away, handing out over-flowing dinner baskets to those in need.  (Few knew that we were recipients of one of those baskets).

God asks us to give Him thanks. Period. Empty cupboards and all. Empty chairs and all. Broken-hearts and all.

Becky White

My (glaringly obvious?) point, is that God asks us to give Him thanks. Period. Empty cupboards and all. Empty chairs and all. Broken-hearts and all. Our choice to give thanks in all things, honors Him and reflects a deep level of trust in our Father God, that says, You are good and You are faithful, even if…  It’s a deliberate choice we make. Somedays its so very easy, other days, it’s through tears… That’s okay. Let’s choose to honor Him.

Count your blessings, name them one by one;

Count your blessings, see what God hath done.

Author: Johnson Oatman, Jr  1856

Now, let’s get your photo album ready…

Father, Thank You for Your many good gifts that I too easily take for granted. Focusing instead on all that I feel is “missing.” Please forgive me. How I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

A little Hebrew:

Give thanks: From eucharistos; to be grateful, i.e. to express gratitude

Forget: From: shâkach, shaw-kakh’; or שָׁכֵחַ shâkêach; a primitive root; to mislay, i.e. to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention:—× at all, (cause to) forget.to forget, ignore, wither (Qal) to cease to care