Happy Thanksgiving!

We sang this song at our Thanksgiving Praise service last night.  It’s been a while since I have sung it and I really enjoyed the words.  I wanted to share them with you on this Thanksgiving Day.

Thanks to God for My Redeemer
words by August Ludwig Storm (Swedish)
translated by Carl E. Backstrom

Thanks to God for my Redeemer,
Thanks for all Thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a mem’ry,
Thanks for Jesus by my side!
Thanks for pleasant, cheerful springtime,
Thanks for summer, winter, fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten,
Thanks for peace within my soul!

Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
Thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,
Thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure,
Thanks for love beyond compare!

Thanks for roses by the wayside,
Thanks for thorns their stems contain!
Thanks for homes and thanks for fireside,
Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!
Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,
Thanks for heav’nly peace with Thee!
Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,
Thanks thro’ all eternity!

I really like the second stanza.  It just seems to sum things up for me right now.  As with many people, the economic difficulties facing our country are also facing our family.  Things have been difficult.  But God is faithful, and He has faithfully provided all of our needs and more.  Here is just a little taste of what God has done for us…Recently we didn’t have the money to make our rent payment.  Ben had lost several days of work because there isn’t much work at the shop right now.  We saw God provide our rent money in one weekend.

God has also been there for me emotionally.  I feel like I have had a hard adjustment to being a mommy of two kids.  There have been up days, and many down days.  It’s one of those storms that I have weathered.  I’m so thankful that when I wanted to give up, God never gave up on me.  He never left me or forsook me.  He was by my side, bringing me through.  Sometimes I had to choose to speak the truth to my heart, even when I didn’t think I wanted to hear it.  Psalm 46:7 has been precious to me: “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”

This year I feel so overwhelmed when I consider everything for which I have to be thankful.  Elaine is learning some short memory verses.  One of them seems very fitting to close this post:

Truly God is good.

Happy Thanksgiving!