As a child, I found it easy to be thankful for many things: my dog, my clothes, my favorite food, my mom, my house, and even my siblings. There were some things, though, that I did not understand how anyone could possibly be thankful for, yet the adults were not only thankful for them but also prayed for these tragic events to happen.
I tried hard to understand, but every time I heard the adults praying for rain, I secretly said my own silent little prayer, "Please, God, don't let it rain." Rain, to my way of thinking, was a huge burden. Rain meant I was not allowed to go outside and play. I had been rained out of swimming parties, baseball games, fun afternoons at camp, and many more exciting activities. To me, there was absolutely no possible reason to be thankful for the rain, much less to pray for it to come.
As I got older, I despised the rain for different reasons. A little bit of humidity in the air sent my hair flying in wild frizzles, made the roads difficulty to drive on, and changed my choice of clothing for the day. It kept me away from fun outdoor activities where I had planned to socialize with my friends. No, I was fairly certain there was absolutely no reason to be thankful for rain.
Then, I became a teacher and my dislike of rain strengthened (if that was possible). You see, on rainy days, recess has to be taken inside in the classroom. While I always enjoyed my students, I looked forward to that small break of fresh air every afternoon, and it had not taken me long to figure out that a 15 minute recess was as good for me as it was for the students. It helped us all be able to settle down to work when we re-entered the classroom. I prayed for no rain on weekdays. I did not mind so much if the rain came on Saturdays or evenings, but dreaded the mornings I woke up to the sound of raindrops on my window.
I had made it more than three decades without really understanding why people (other than farmers) prayed for rain when I moved to South Texas. South Texas summers were long, hot, and dry. It did not take too long for me to discover that rain was God's gift to me, cooling the air and allowing me a brief respite from the heat. I found myself actually being thankful for the rain. Even more than that, I found myself praying for rain. I now understood what as a child I could not: the rain was a special blessing from God, not just to cool the earth but to provide the necessary water needed by plants, animals, and humans for survival.
In my immaturity, I had looked at rain selfishly, disliking it because of the discomfort it brought me. Once I began to see the necessity and the benefit of it, I developed a great love for the rain. Today, as I prepare to spend a season of thanksgiving thanking God for all that He has given me, I have no problem thanking God for the beautiful rain.
Do I really need to give thanks in everything? I've discovered the answer. I need to be thankful because God is my Father, and He knows best. All of the times I prayed against the rain, God did not stop it. He knew my needs when I was too selfish to be able to see them. God gave me what I needed, even when I was not thankful. Today, I look around and find that similar to when I was a kid, there are some things I find it hard to give thanks for. My prayer today, however, is no longer "Please, God, don't let it rain" but "Please, God, show me how to appreciate the things I don't understand."
Many times, I have seen God take what I thought was a curse or something completely out of my plan and show me how that event worked in my life to produce good. I am truly thankful for a Father who knows best. "In everything give thanks…"