Reflecting over my 25 years of Thanksgivings, it is so interesting to see how it has changed and all the things for which I can be thankful. While growing up, Thanksgiving was always spent with my family. My first two years of college I was away from home but was still able to travel back home and spend time with my family. I was so thankful to spend the time with then, but I never knew what it would be like away from them. Then came my time in California. I was not able to fly home to be with my family, but I realized how thankful I was for close friends who invited me to spend the holiday with their family. After college it was on to the Dominican Republic. I had an amazing missionary family during my first two years that got together and celebrated. I could have been sad or disappointed that it wasn't with my family, but we got together like a family would and celebrated.
I am now spending my first thanksgiving in Colorado with my family since 2007, and I am more thankful than ever. Over the years I have seen that there are many things for which to be thankful. I am not only blessed by an incredible family, but I have also had incredible friends and my missionary family. There is always something that we can be thankful for. It may look different every year and even sometimes it may not seem like much, but it is important to find that thing.
Every year at Thanksgiving we go around the table and share the best part of the last year and what we are looking forward to in the next year. I always had a plan on what the next year would be like, but I never knew that God would use me in this way. As I look over the last year I am blown away by what God has done in the Dominican Republic. He has made himself present many times and answered so many prayers. I am now I looking forward to the next year. I don't know what God has planned, but that is so exciting. I know that it will be spent in the DR serving Him with an incredible group of people and I couldn't be more excited!
I am thankful for my family, friends, and fellow missionaries. I am thankful for all of my supporters, churches, and ministry partners. I am healthy and living out the call God has for me. God has put me exactly where he wants me and I could ask for anything else. There are hard times and difficult things, but I am thankful that God is next to me, helping me through everything. I trust in Him to get me through the hard times and praise Him for the good times. That is something to be thankful for. What can you thank God for in your life?
