I’m thrilled to have an article in the November issue of Tabletalk Magazine. You can read the article online here. Here’s a preview . . .

For a few glorious months at the end of 2011, I hardly ever complained. I had endured several months of treatment for a rare cancer and had just been declared cancer free. I didn’t know how many healthy days I would have with my young family before the cancer returned, and I was determined to squeeze as much joy out of each day as I could.

To put it bluntly, my lack of complaining came from the realization that, statistically speaking, I should have been dead. I’d been given the gift of life, and gratefulness overflowed.

But it didn’t take long for me to forget what I’d been given. I fell back into old habits of grumbling, just like the Israelites in the desert who stood in awe of God’s power at the Red Sea but didn’t trust Him to provide drinking water (Ex. 14–15). Although I’d seen the Lord’s faithfulness through the deep waters of suffering, I forgot His goodness in the smallest puddles of my day, such as gloomy weather or a slow-moving line at the coffee shop.

When we encounter the minor frustrations and inconveniences of daily life, we have a choice to make: gratitude or grumbling. As we strive for gratitude, we need to recognize the sinfulness of our grumbling, examine the heart attitudes beneath it, and discover its remedy in the gospel.

To read the rest of the article, head over to Tabletalk’s website.

This week I’m sharing over on the enCourage blog. Here’s a preview . . .

On the night before Thanksgiving 2010, I laid next to my sleeping husband and wondered if he’d wake to find that I’d died during the night. My fear may have been exaggerated, but it wasn’t completely unreasonable. My fever was over 102, and the number of white blood cells available to fight infection in my body was dangerously close to the number of hairs on my head: zero.

One month earlier, I’d been diagnosed with angiosarcoma. This rare, aggressive cancer threatened my hopes to celebrate my 35th birthday, see my three small children grow up, and reach milestone anniversaries with my husband. I was fighting for more Thanksgivings and determined to enjoy this one to the fullest. But it was hard to be thankful.

From the world’s perspective, I didn’t have much to be thankful for. I was stricken with a terrible cancer and facing months of difficult treatment. I was bald, sick, fatigued, and scared. And yet, the truth of God’s Word challenged my thinking: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Give Thanks in All Circumstances

Some days, I didn’t feel like rejoicing. Chemo made my mind too foggy to pray. I struggled to find reasons to give thanks.

With great relief, I noticed the Scripture doesn’t say, “Give thanks for all circumstances.” God didn’t ask me to give thanks for cancer—in fact, I believe He hates cancer, along with all the effects of this sin-plagued, fallen world. Instead, He called me to give thanks in all circumstances, and He’s graciously teaching me to do so.

Maybe giving thanks is a challenge for you right now. I’ve been there, and I’m sorry for your pain. When our life is a mess, our future uncertain, or our hearts broken, how can we give thanks in those circumstances?

To read more, head over to enCourage to read the rest of the post. While you’re there, I hope you’ll check out their great blog posts and podcast episodes for more encouragement in your walk with Christ!