I've Got Plenty to be Thankful For
(Warning: this post isn't a lovely tied up package of a post. It's slightly stream-of-consciousness.)
If you've ever watched Holiday Inn, you might remember the sight of Bing Crosby sitting alone at a huge table full of holiday foods, singing the song, "I've got Plenty to be Thankful for." The verses talk about all the things that he doesn't have... but he's still got plenty to be thankful for.
Today is Thanksgiving. In North America it's probably not 90 degrees at 8 AM, but you probably don't have fresh tropical fruit on hand for that fruit salad.
A couple weeks ago I ended up in a taxi with the mayor of the port town. One of the questions he asked was if I had any regrets. Ha. Well, what's a regret anyway? It's not like I would change anything. It reminds me of quote I tried to live by in high school: "No reserve. No retreat. No regrets." That was penned by William Borden, a rich guy who gave away as much as possible, moved to a foreign place to share the Light, and died shortly thereafter.
Just because we don't have all the things we want doesn't mean that we have an out for being thankful. As I've been reconsidering the value of simple living in this context, one thing in my list of goals is that my contentment is not based on what I have but in knowing that the Father has placed me here. And because of that, I can be thankful to Him.
But just because I'm thankful doesn't mean that I have all my desires fulfilled. God knows the longings of my heart, He knows the desires which may never be met. Yet He promises to be there, to be with me in the midst of life. My attitude isn't based on what I have, but it comes from knowing the Creator of the universe.
But because it's easier to be thankful for things I have, than things I don't have, here's a list of things I'm thankful for:
-- a sense of humor. No matter what happens there's generally some way to laugh about it. And that makes everything better.
-- fresh food. Most of the foods in the market came from local farms. In fact, my next door neighbor has a great urban gardening plot going, with hundreds of hot peppers.
-- teammates. I so appreciate their involvement in my life and the great examples they set in different areas of life. And in the absence of my own family, they make pretty good subsititues.
-- music. After arriving here with a broken guitar, my soul started to ache to play music again. Now I have a new guitar and I've been blessed with a friend who has loaned me his keyboard for as long as I want.
-- the new house. It's amazing that, when the outside starts to cool down, the house doesn't still persist in its attempts to roast me alive. Having more space for hosting people and being right on the ocean are both incredible blessings.
-- neighbors, both new and old. It's been really fun to get to know my new neighbors here in M-town. I'm learning all of their names and the things they're good at. And my old neighbors are always happy to see me when I pop over to visit.
-- new sisters. It's so neat to see them learning and growing and excited to share with others.
-- Indzia. That kitty keeps me constantly amused (and sometimes annoyed) with his antics. And he totally loves curling up for an afternoon nap during the hottest part of the day.
So there you go. And on a practical note, yes, I did get an almost-traditional Thanksgiving feast.
If you've ever watched Holiday Inn, you might remember the sight of Bing Crosby sitting alone at a huge table full of holiday foods, singing the song, "I've got Plenty to be Thankful for." The verses talk about all the things that he doesn't have... but he's still got plenty to be thankful for.
Today is Thanksgiving. In North America it's probably not 90 degrees at 8 AM, but you probably don't have fresh tropical fruit on hand for that fruit salad.
A couple weeks ago I ended up in a taxi with the mayor of the port town. One of the questions he asked was if I had any regrets. Ha. Well, what's a regret anyway? It's not like I would change anything. It reminds me of quote I tried to live by in high school: "No reserve. No retreat. No regrets." That was penned by William Borden, a rich guy who gave away as much as possible, moved to a foreign place to share the Light, and died shortly thereafter.
Just because we don't have all the things we want doesn't mean that we have an out for being thankful. As I've been reconsidering the value of simple living in this context, one thing in my list of goals is that my contentment is not based on what I have but in knowing that the Father has placed me here. And because of that, I can be thankful to Him.
But just because I'm thankful doesn't mean that I have all my desires fulfilled. God knows the longings of my heart, He knows the desires which may never be met. Yet He promises to be there, to be with me in the midst of life. My attitude isn't based on what I have, but it comes from knowing the Creator of the universe.
But because it's easier to be thankful for things I have, than things I don't have, here's a list of things I'm thankful for:
-- a sense of humor. No matter what happens there's generally some way to laugh about it. And that makes everything better.
-- fresh food. Most of the foods in the market came from local farms. In fact, my next door neighbor has a great urban gardening plot going, with hundreds of hot peppers.
-- teammates. I so appreciate their involvement in my life and the great examples they set in different areas of life. And in the absence of my own family, they make pretty good subsititues.
-- music. After arriving here with a broken guitar, my soul started to ache to play music again. Now I have a new guitar and I've been blessed with a friend who has loaned me his keyboard for as long as I want.
-- the new house. It's amazing that, when the outside starts to cool down, the house doesn't still persist in its attempts to roast me alive. Having more space for hosting people and being right on the ocean are both incredible blessings.
-- neighbors, both new and old. It's been really fun to get to know my new neighbors here in M-town. I'm learning all of their names and the things they're good at. And my old neighbors are always happy to see me when I pop over to visit.
-- new sisters. It's so neat to see them learning and growing and excited to share with others.
-- Indzia. That kitty keeps me constantly amused (and sometimes annoyed) with his antics. And he totally loves curling up for an afternoon nap during the hottest part of the day.
So there you go. And on a practical note, yes, I did get an almost-traditional Thanksgiving feast.
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