Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised.
Job 1:21 NIV
When November clouds above are so dense that the day never seems to shake free of the night, I light a lot of candles.
I light a lot of candles and sing, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.”
I turn on the lamps and pull out the crocheted throw blankets and make a steaming cup of tea with a few extra swirls of honey, because darkness can’t stand against a little bit of sweetness. Darkness can’t stand against hope, defiant. Darkness can’t stand against gratitude.
Like a lot of different characters in the Bible, Job knew a thing or two about darkness. Stripped of everything he knew and loved with no warning and no reason, Job had to sit in tragic suffering, surrounded by a bunch of friends that insisted he must have done something to deserve all this grief.
He could have let his circumstances influence his beliefs and erode away at his trust in God. Instead, Job said, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
Praise! In the darkest night, Job praised God. He wasn’t glad to be suffering. He wasn’t grateful that his children were gone alongside all his possessions. No, his thanks and praise was higher than that. It transcended his circumstances.
When I believe that it is ultimately Love (aka God) that holds all things together, that out of God’s Love all things exist and move, that out of God’s Love only is it possible to even be here, then my gratitude is able to reach beyond my losses, beyond my illnesses, beyond my woes, to the eternal assurance that nothing can separate us from Love, the Light of the world that shines in the darkness.
So light a candle and find gratitude for the flame Love made, for the wick Love spun, for the wax Love formed, for the Light Love shines. May the name of the Lord be praised.
Points of Reflection
- If you’re going through a season of loss or hardship, how might you be able to find gratitude or hope even in these dark times, like Job?
- Do you believe that nothing can separate us from Love? Identify one circumstance or challenge in your life, current or from the past, and ask God to help you find his loving presence in that season.
For the Kids
- Think of a time when you felt sad or afraid. What are some things that helped you feel better? How did they make you feel safer?
- Why do you think Job still praised God even when things were really hard? What does it mean to you to be thankful, even when you’re sad?
Action
Leading up to Thanksgiving, dedicate some time (aim for at least 15 minutes) to record everything you are grateful for in a journal. Sit with God when you start to run out of things and let the Spirit bring even more to the surface. Look around your physical space to find even more evidence of God’s gifts in your life. Let this practice of gratitude fill your heart and mind with the joy and peace of Christ, whose light has the power to overcome the darkness.
Reading
I recently read Kate Bowler’s excellent memoir, No Cure for Being Human (And Other Truths I Need to Hear), which explores some of these same themes—what do you do when you come face to face with your mortality? Is there room for gratitude? Can you grieve and lament and rage against the unfairness of suffering and still hold onto faith in Love’s abiding presence? Bowler tackles these topics with grace and humor and the nuance needed to wrestle with complex questions, questions that do not really have clear-cut answers.
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2024
Root and Vine