Matt. 6: 25-33            Growing in Faith ? Giving Thanks at all Times            E/GR/DC Oct. 8, 06

1. It?s pretty easy to give thanks when everything is going well.  Though we may forget at that time too.  But how do we give thanks when our world is turned upside down?  When the ache in our heart is intense?  When we?re fighting 8 different brushfires in different corners of the farm?

2. Our first scripture from Joel comes when a remnant had returned from exile to Jerusalem.  Hoping for peace and good times at last, a locust plague has devastated the land. Joel urges the people to turn to God wholeheartedly. The psalm comes at a similar time.  Drought, locusts and poor harvests have reduced the returned community to poverty.  Enemy armies are again on their doorstep.  In desperation, the people pray for new signs of God with them, so they can again give thanks.

3. This is very familiar in our time of terror, economic hardship and war.  With continued tension in Israel and Palestine, war in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the threat of international terrorism it is hard to be thankful.  With the daily threat of terror in our schools, high unemployment, new epidemics, and bridges collapsing it is hard to be grateful.  All these concerns may generate an atmosphere of fear and apprehension not thankfulness. 

4. Our anxious and worry-laden lives leave us exhausted at the end of the day.  That mental and emotional exhaustion leads to all kinds of problems.  Researchers at the U. of Alabama, found that boys 3-5 who get fewer than 10 hours of sleep suffer 133% more injuries than those who get adequate rest.  Adults may not get scraped knees, our casualties tend to be more of the human kind.

5. When we worry about things that might happen in the future, we lose sight of the value of what is right in front of us.  Research done by Boggiano and Main in 1986 revealed that if something is offered as a reward in the future after something is finished it lessened the value the student placed on the first activity.  It also increased the value of the future reward.  So if students were told they could only eat carrots if they first ate their dessert, the desirability of the dessert would decrease while the value of the carrots would increase.  The very thing we fear takes on more importance, than the present reality because of the time and energy we devote to it.

6. Do we believe we can stop worrying?  It?s natural isn?t it?  My great aunt Gertrude was a worrier.  There?s nothing I can do.  Do we actually believe that?s true?  We hear it all the time.  But worry is actually another of those pesky emotions.  They come and the first fleeting seconds are there, a given.  Then it is our job to change them or enjoy them!  Do we really want to cling on to such destructive behaviour?  How is it benefiting me?  Or do I want to live more fully?

7. What can we learn from our scriptures about fear and worry?  According to Joel, and our psalmist, and Jesus, it?s the opposite of faith and trust in God.  God has promised to be with us.  To renew and recreate.  To give wholeness, freedom from fear, abundance.  Our job is to work for God?s new reality, and trust that God will take care of the rest.  Does this mean we should ignore our daily responsibilities?  Be like the birds of the air?  Apparently those sparrows are about to revolt.  It turns out that no one works harder than the average sparrow.  The point is they don?t worry!  There?s nothing wrong with hard work.  It?s just that worry is very destructive.

8. Jesus reminds us that worry changes nothing.  We can?t make ourselves taller or smaller or add a minute to our lives, by worrying.  When we try to see the future, or find security in accumulated things, we have a hard time to focus on God?s way.  This anxiety can be seen as distrust of God.  What if we put our time and energy toward cooperation, education, empowerment, encouragement, justice, kindness, and sharing?  Such action will make things better, improve bad relationships, and help realize some of what God is up to in the world.  We can be instruments of God?s peace, as St. Francis prayed, if we give up worrying, concentrate on being grateful and put some effort into loving our neighbours.

9. Living the vision of God requires prayer.  Not just to ask for good things for ourselves, but for all people as Timothy urges us.  Praying for those who have hurt us, or those we care about.  Praying for those we don?t understand.  Praying with our words and our actions for those who don?t have enough.  Praying with words and our political action for just solutions to war and violence, hunger and illness.

10. Praying not only to ask but also to give thanks, even in the midst of difficult times.  When there?s a near miss of a car accident to give thanks for quick reactions, and not be burdened with anger and worry the rest of the day.  To give thanks for the scenery on a detour or wrong turn off the free way.  Giving thanks that a particular task is difficult, so there is time to learn what God would have us know.  Or the really hard one - when life is at its worst, to give thanks, reminding ourselves of God?s constant care, daily provision for our needs, of the blessings we take for granted, that help support and give life so the world can function, maybe even flourish, right in the midst of the darkness.

11. Sharing the good news is an excellent antidote to worry also.  SI Hayakwa in Language, Thought and Action reminds us how language can add to or distort how we think.  Look at all the bad news reported in the media.  A person could believe all things are uniformly bad, unjust and uncooperative.  But that?s the unusual, he asserts.  The very nature of news.  To counteract it we remind ourselves of all the good that happens every day, that we could take for granted: medical, store and bank personnel, farmers, cooks and wait staff, construction workers, fire fighters, police, teachers, mail carriers.  They go to work every day and provide for our needs.  This good news is happening every minute of every day, but because it is normal and predictable, it doesn?t make the news.  When we remember to thank them, and be thankful for their faithfulness every day, we might think of the even greater faithfulness of God.

12. And of course we need some humour.  Fortunately we get that holy gift from God.  Let us imagine we got a message today.  I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help!  If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.  Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.  If you find yourself stuck in traffic; don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.  Should you have a bad day at work; think of the man who has been out of work for years.  Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.  Should you grieve the passing of another weekend: think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.  Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; think of the person who would love to take a walk.  Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.  Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.  Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; remember, things would be way worse if you were one of them.

13. To be a people of our creative God who is still creating, is to believe we can change.  The way to take our mind off ourselves and our fears is to focus on living the vision of God.  It requires radical trust and single-minded service.  It is greatly helped when all our words and actions say, ?I thank my God each time I think of you, and when I think of you, I think with love.?  We are not promised that doing these things will make all things in the community smooth and easy.  But we are simply and wonderfully promised that God will always be with us.