"In Everything, Give Thanks"

I've taken some time today to think about this.... "in everything, give thanks" (1 Thess. 5:18).

in... this little word doesn't mean "after" or "when it all makes sense"... it means while it is happening. I am so not good at this. THat means when my foot hurts and the kids are screaming and Hubby isn't home yet, and I'm exhausted and it's three hours til... give thanks? Really??? In the middle of everything, whatever is happening, I should be willing to give thanks.

everything... does this mean what I think it does? How is this possible? In everything? Even when... my baby has an unknown future because of things that happened before I ever met him. Or when my sweet niece or the son of a friend aren't here with us when they should be. Or when a little guy has cancer. Or, or, or... how does it look and feel to be thankful in every situation?

give... this one I get, maybe. God doesn't beg us to give him glory for anything. It is our response to his goodness, in spite of what we see as tough circumstances in which we find ourselves. Giving happens when there's no expectation that you'll get, and no, absolutely no expectation that in the gift, you'll get something in return.

thanks... what is it, really? This is what I want to find out. We talk about giving thanks, showing gratitude, but really, what does it mean to live with an underlying gratitude for all that we have...

In Everything Give Thanks... this is how I want to live. But how?