The Power of Gratitude: Being Thankful in the Pandemic

2020 has been a crazy year so far…

And with things as they are right now, it seems things are going to get worse.

With the pandemic, a lot of people have lost their jobs, have their plans derailed, multi-million businesses busted, and loved ones separated.

In the Philippines, we have experienced more than 20 typhoons so far. The last two are the strongest and deadliest.

Around the world, we hear a lot of bad news — from war to calamities, from political unrest to government instability. All these have been compounded by the pandemic.

So, more than ever, maybe, you have a hard time being thankful especially in the midst of this pandemic.

But hear me out before you stop reading this post.

There is always, always, always, and absolutely, always something to be thankful for even in the worst of all situations.

I’m glad that the United States has their Thanksgiving Day every year to remind everyone to be thankful for everything that they have and even the things that they don’t have.

I just wish we had the same thing here in the Philippines, but instead, what we have are fiestas dedicated to dead people and saints. There’s no single day dedicated to thanking God for all the blessings and goodness He has shown us.

However, no matter where you are, whoever you are, or whatever your situation is, you must always be thankful.

Yes, it’s nice to have Thanksgiving Day, but giving thanks should be done every day and must not be limited to a single day.

To help you have a better perspective and how we must be thankful in spite of the pandemic we are in, I would like to share with you a post I found on Facebook.

Here it is:

It’s a mess out there.
Hard to discern between what’s a real threat and what is just simple panic and hysteria. For a small amount of perspective at this moment, imagine you were born in 1900.
On your 14th birthday, World War I begins and ends on your 18th birthday. Forty million people perish in that war.
In that same year, a Spanish Flu epidemic hits the planet and runs until your 20th birthday. Fifty million people die from it in those two years. Yes, 50 million.
On your 29th birthday, the Great Depression begins. One in every four people become unemployed in the US alone. The World GDP drops 15%. That runs until you are 33. The country nearly collapses along with the world economy.
When you turn 39, World War II starts. You aren’t even over the hill yet. And don’t try to catch your breath. On your 41st birthday, the United States is fully pulled into WWII. Between your 39th and 45th birthday, 75 million people perish in the war.
At 50, the Korean War starts. Five million perish in three years.
At 55, the Vietnam War begins and doesn’t end for 20 years. Four million people perish in that conflict.
On your 62nd birthday, you have the Cuban Missile Crisis, a tipping point in the Cold War. Life on our planet, as we know it, should have ended. Great leaders prevented that from happening.
When you turn 75, the Vietnam War finally ends.

Wow! How’s that for a fresh perspective.

My point here is that you may think that your life is hard, but it is not only you who is having a hard time. Nobody said that it will be an easy life, but you can always choose to be grateful.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ardently tells us:

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

As you can see, it didn’t say to give thanks when there’s no pandemic.

It didn’t say to give thanks when all is well.

It didn’t say to give thanks when we are happy, healthy, and prosperous.

It says, “Give thanks in ALL circumstances.”

I hope this short and little post I shared with you gives you a better perspective about the importance of being thankful even in this global pandemic.

If you want to learn more about being grateful, its benefits, and how to achieve an attitude of gratefulness, I highly recommend you read any of the following:

I’m confident that these blogs would dramatically help you develop a more positive and grateful attitude. So, please don’t miss this golden opportunity.

That’s it for me.

Thank you and may God bless us with a thankful heart!

Until He comes,
Joshua

(P.S. Please consider supporting my work, by buying my eBook, “How to Live a Victorious Life.” It’s only $2.99. The proceeds I receive from this sale will be used to further the work of God and help me gain more time to write. Thank you as always!)