Giving "Thanks" During Hard Times ~ Happily Ever After?

Oftentimes we romanticize the plight of the pilgrims.

Their journey consisted of wild storms in the violent, stormy seas and a lack of fresh food for many months at a time. There was seasickness and dirty diseases while being surrounded with buckets of filth for the uses of everything else I dare not mention. Showers and clean clothes were non-existant. These people were also among passengers who taunted them for their faith on their historical voyage to the "New World".

Notwithstanding all these torments was the grief in their hearts lingering from their final good-byes to loved ones. For others it was the great detachment from the civilized world as they knew it. They would most likely never see that world and those left behind loved ones ever again.

When they finally arrived at their destination, their troubles were not over! They lost one half of their people to starvation, disease and cold in the first winter.

And this was a journey led by God because of their faith in God?

Surely they must have felt forsaken? They had every opportunity to lose hope. But, what did they do when given the opportunity?

They thanked God for everything He had done for them!

Truly there is much to learn from a people like this! In these uncertain times, it is so easy to lose heart. Looking back to the journey of this God-fearing people, we can see the grace that has been shown to us in our present circumstances because of their endurance. {Think of the legacy you may leave the next generation because of the life of faith you are currently living!}

May their example stand out like a beam of light during our dark moments for what was their source of strength?

Dear reader, it was the Living God and the inspired and encouraging words of the Scriptures!

This is the faith that we must hold on to in our own lives when our journey goes down a thorny path of sorrows, storms and pain. This is the faith that will sustain us in all circumstances. And when our life takes us to some scary scenarios, we know that we are safely in the place God has chosen for us…

"In every thing give thanks:

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18

{emphasis mine on "you"}

We know it isn't this life where we will live "happily ever after" but the next one to come. The Lord has already laid down His precious life for you, for us (John 3:16). And for that, we should always be thankful...

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,

to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful."

~ Colossians 3:15

{Free "Give Thanks" Printable Here}

{Pilgrims Homeschool Unit Study Here}

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Good Morning Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Homestead Barn Hop, Monday's Musings, Marriage Monday, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Make Bake Create, Wise Woman Link Up, Wow Us Wednesdays, Whatever You Wish Wednesday, Wildcrafting Wednesday, The Scoop, Coffee and Conversation, So Much at Home, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Hearts for Home Thursdays, Home Acre Hop, From the Farm Blog Hop, Farmgirl Friday, Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Simple Meals Friday, Foodie Fridays, Simply Natural Saturdays and Clever Chicks Blog Hop. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This was shared a while back on my other blog and edited slightly for this blog.