Thanksgiving

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I though I would share a few things that I am thankful for!

I am thankful for:

-wonderful family and friends. Despite being on separate continents, I still feel so loved by so many friends and family. I am constantly getting messages and being able talk with people via email, Skype, g-Chat, facebook, etc. I even got to "go" to my families thanksgiving celebration at my aunt and uncle's house. I really appreciate all the prayers and support I have received back home.

-a place to call home. There have been many times throughout the semester that I have missed home. Not only for some of the luxuries, but also for all the wonderful memories. Sometimes there are just certain things about the place that you call home that you can't even use words to describe. I am thankful for those things.

-abundance. God has blessed me in so many abundant ways. This has become so clear by living in Africa. I am living on a fraction of what it would cost to live in the US and I still have so much more than many others that I interact with on a daily basis. To put in perspective, if I were Ugandan man working and making 20,000 shillings a day (a little bit less than $10 a day), not only would I be rich, I would be sending money to all my brothers and sisters and their families to help support them. Certainly cost of living is lower so $10 goes a lot farther, but it is still an interesting thought.

-the little luxuries. You don't always notice them and you may not even realize that they are luxuries. There are a few that I have especially notice since coming to Africa. Some of the following I have here, others I don't. Some of them are important to the quality of life, others are just fun to have. In any case, here is a list of things I've really come to appreciate.

Clean water. Running water. Hot water. Electricity. Smooth roads. Clean air. Soft Couches. TV. Internet. Dish washers. Washing machines. Dryers. Air conditioning. I could list so many more...


-Christ and His saving work on the cross. Without him I am nothing. He gives purpose to my life, something to live for, a hope to hold onto. I only have all of the things I mentioned above because of Him. It is my goal that I treasure the giver of these blessings more than the blessings themselves. I hope to put my joy in God because of who He is and not because of what He does for me. That's why He should receive all of the glory in my thanksgiving.