Painful Gratitude

May 19th, 2007

Painful Gratitude

I guess I should simply say that I am in pain. I’ve had this pain for close to three years now. It’s been almost constant since it has started, but it hasn’t stopped for what I would say to be the last two years. And when I have my right hip replaced with an hour and a half surgery, my problems should diminish quite quickly. If I am to be blessed with no pain what-so-ever, then it will be a first in a LONG time. This thing started before I had my last surgery, which was to stop my acid reflux. So, it has been years since I have been pain free. YEARS. What is my response to being pain free? Gratitude – gratitude that should never be forgotten. In the NIV, there are two scriptures that use the very word gratitude. I’ll share one of the two, and also check out some other scriptures…

Gratitude (noun):

• A feeling of thankfulness and appreciation
• The state of being grateful; thankfulness
• The quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful

Grateful (adj.):

• Warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful
• Pleasing to the mind or senses; agreeable or welcome; refreshing
• Appreciative of benefits received; thankful
• Affording pleasure or comfort; agreeable
• Feeling or showing gratitude

Grateful Dead, the San Francisco rock band, took its name, according to Jerry Garcia, from a dictionary entry he saw about the folk tale motif of a wanderer who gives his last penny to pay for a corpse's burial, then is magically aided by the spirit of the dead person. A different version of the concept is found in the Hebrew Kaddish and the Egyptian Book of the Dead.

I was interested in checking out this story of the Grateful Dead and the dictionary from which it came… and then I realized it was taking too much time to find. So I moved on, it’s not really important.

Gratitude is thankfulness. In the story above, the guy pays for the burial or the debts of the man, and then the spirit of the fellow is grateful, or thankful, and helps the guy out in a later situation. The spirit may have even saved his life, although I am not completely sure since I have only read bits and pieces. The thing is, the ghost appreciated the kindness and expressed thankfulness.

Colossians 3:15-17 (NIV)
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:15-17 (NCV)
Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking, because you were all called together in one body to have peace. Always be thankful. Let the teaching of Christ live in you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and instruct each other by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Everything you do or say should be done to obey Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.

Colossians 3:15-17 (TMB)
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also ye are called in one body, and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by Him.

OK, whatever I do, I have to give thanks to God. When I sing, there should be gratitude and thankfulness and grace in my heart to God. And this is whether I have pain or not. But there is more to the pain of gratitude. Remember that thanks and gratitude are pretty much the same…

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 (NIV)
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 (NCV)
Always be joyful. Pray continually, and give thanks whatever happens. That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus. Do not hold back the work of the Holy Spirit. Do not treat prophecy as if it were unimportant. But test everything. Keep what is good, and stay away from everything that is evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 (TMB)
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesying. Test all things; hold fast to that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

OK, here’s the kick that I’ve had (and really the whole passage given is a struggle at times) is give thanks in all circumstances, in any and all situations. And that goes for kidney stones, nasty acid reflux, a garden hoe through the foot, and a painful joint rubbing up against the hip socket. And praying without ceasing; that would mean to pray when the leg hurts, praying when the leg feels better. It means to pray when times are good and bad, and everything in between. Plus, the end all be all, to be joyful always. I have to rejoice evermore. But it is not rejoicing on how I am feeling, but rejoicing that I simply know that this is temporary and the afterlife in heaven is eternal. And that is what hope is all about. There is always someone who has it a little worse than me. There are places in this world like Cambodia and Africa where there is limited healthcare at best. And I am sure someone may have what I have and simply have to “suck it up” for most likely the rest of their lives. With that thought, it is easy to be grateful for my situation. Johnny Out.