When asked what we’re thankful for, it’s easy to name the obvious — family, home, food, Jesus. But what if we are steeped in circumstances and concerns that make the obvious difficult to discern? How can we give thanks?

My wise grandmother once told us that if we were to write our troubles on a piece of paper, place our lists in paper bags, and add them to a pile of other trouble-laden bags, that in opening someone else’s bag, we’d be grateful for our troubles instead of theirs.

She was urging us to look beyond the obvious — to see that while we may not know what the future holds, we know Who holds our future. To recognize that when our hope is in Christ Jesus, our hearts can be filled with thanks.