"Was it strange to experience Thanksgiving in a country that doesn't even recognize the holiday?"
"It was beautiful."
I knew thanksgiving this year would play out differently than any other year in my life. It would be a day without traveling, without extra cooking, without seeing family and being together, and wonderfully even without the despised football watching (sorry, football fans!).
Thanksgiving day this year looked like an entirely normal (if not especially busy!) day - Bible studies, school, studying, prep work of all varieties, teaching English class, and sweet conversations with friends.
An entirely normal day in which I was so incredibly thankful.
Without the bustle of dozen of dishes to be created, black Friday shopping to be awaited, and business to be consumed by, my head and heart filled full as I mused over all the many reasons I have to be thankful.
It doesn't require moving to a new country (though sometimes it might help!); every now and then, let's simply step back.
Let's put aside the tradition and the busy, and let's just sit and remember.
Let's put aside the tradition and the busy, and let's just sit and remember.
Let's remember all the reasons we have to be thankful, aside from the food, aside from the festivities, aside even from the football.
We have been given so many good gifts in life from our perfect Father, who we really can entrust our hearts and lives to. More than anything, I'm thankful for His perfect love, plan, and redemption in my life and in the lives of every single one of us who will place our hearts, no matter how broken, into His hands and trust Him with it.
I can tell you from experience, He will never disappoint.
A couple days after Thanksgiving day, we organized our own sort of Thanksgiving gathering with snacks to be made by sweet, eager helpers, games to be played and laughed over, and relationships to be celebrated. And I knew, all over again, I have much to be thankful for.
