I’m here and can lay one more Ebenezer. If there is one thing that, at this moment, I am truly grateful for it is the human capacity for being grateful. I thank God that He made us in such a way that we can contemplate Him and His good gifts. I am thankful that God has provided for me to be here in this country, that He has given me a safe trip, that He’s kept me safe, that He’s blessed me with a mature team that seeks Him, that there is hope for knowing Him more and sharing the knowledge of Him. I’m halfway tempted to simply fill this post with reasons for being thankful and call it a day knowing that having filled pages I’ll still have more to be thankful for and will have probably covered everything that has been going on this month.
Actually, that’s exactly what I’m going to do and I invite you to join me in being grateful.
I’m grateful for:
- All Saints Day and all the saints in my life that have shared God’s love with me
- For being 100% funded (though it wasn’t till two days before my flight)
- For a safe trip (though on the last leg we had to turn around and land so that a mentally ill passenger could be escorted off the plane)
- For the opportunity to learn a new language
- For two awesome roommates (though our apartment only has cold water and the only stuff it had when we moved in were a mattress, two sinks and a toilet)
- For friends in my neighborhood and favor in their eyes (even though all I can say is “what’s that” and “that’s good”)
- For getting al my visa work taken care of (though during those days I was going through the worst of a stomach bugs)
- For a team with which I can speak in English and share the struggles of cultural adaptation
- For a team with which I can pray and be encouraged to seek God in new ways
- For the vision that God is working in this neighborhood and has called me, with all my unique qualities, to work with Him in this place
- For friends who keep in touch with me and pray for me daily
- For internet and a way to stay in touch with people around the world (also Skype)
- For a computer that is working (even after a bunch of hassles in updating operating systems)
- For a good nights sleep and a soft pillow and mattress with sheets
- For food and cooking and sharing the food one’s cooked with friends
- For communication and shared languages
- For trust and honesty in communication that leads to and is a part of friendship both among men and with God
- For forgiveness and love (I mean who could have a list of gratitude without these two)
- For unity without uniformity in the body of Christ
- For the why we all uniquely get to know a personal God, Emmanuel
Please continue this list with what you are thankful for; it can be as simple as my personal favorite from this last week. At my team leader’s apt we have a gratitude tree and the other day I couldn’t help but add a leaf that said “ice cream.” Nothing more, nothing less, I am also grateful for ice cream.