Whether Feast or Famine
There’s a lyric that’s lived in my bones since childhood… one that didn’t make sense to me until life broke me open enough to understand it in my adulthood. I was reminded of it when the record came on my morning playlist yesterday morning.
“God has not promised me sunshine, That’s not the way it’s going to be. But a little rain… mixed with God’s sunshine, A little pain… makes me appreciate the good times.” — Walter Hawkins (Be Grateful)
When you’re young, you think gratitude is reserved for the good. From the answered prayers… to the full table… to the seasons of overflow. But as you grow… if you’re aware… you realize that gratitude is not just for gain, it’s also for grace. And sometimes grace looks like the thing you didn’t want, but needed.
The Practice of Gratefulness
When Jesus broke bread and fish before feeding the crowd of 4,000 as well as the crowd of 5,000, He gave thanks before the miracle. Not after the baskets overflowed. Not after the crowd was satisfied.
Before.
That’s divine order! Because gratitude is not a response… it’s a recognition. It’s seeing what is before it becomes what you want.
When He stood at Lazarus’s tomb and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard me,” He was standing in front of death. Still, He thanked God aloud. Because gratitude in the grave is the highest form of faith.
It’s easy to praise when your table’s full. But the real measure of your heart is whether you can give thanks when the cupboard’s bare. Whether you can whisper “be grateful” when life tastes like famine.
The Rhythm of Rain and Sunshine
The song reminds us:
“He can’t afford to let you feel only good.”
What a line! Because if all we knew was sunlight, we’d forget what it feels like to need warmth. If all we knew was harvest, we’d forget the value of planting. And if all we knew was victory, we’d never know the intimacy of leaning on God in defeat.
It says: “Even in this, You are good.”
It turns rain into revelation.
It turns pain into perspective.
It turns famine into faith.
The Art of Enough
We all must remember there’s always someone who’d love to be in your shoes. There’s always someone praying for what you overlook. That’s not meant to guilt you… it’s meant to ground you. Because gratitude isn’t about comparison, it’s about completion. It’s the quiet awareness that what you have right now is already enough to give thanks for.
So whether you’re standing in a feast or wandering through famine, remember this…
God hasn’t forsaken you.
He’s forming you… through both the rain and the shine.
When was the last time you said thank You for something that hurt? Not after the healing… not after the lesson… but in the middle of it. Gratitude in the fire is what separates the faithful from the fair-weather. Because anyone can thank God for what feels good. But it takes trust to thank Him for what forms you.
We’re all responsible for ourselves… and that consist of expresses gratitude. So whether you’re in a season of plenty or pressing through lack… be grateful.
For God is still ruling and it will be alright.