Thanksgiving

     Today is our first Thanksgiving in Ghana. It's really strange to have all the food preparations going on and not be doing some of the traditional things I've done for years, but I'm thankful to have had the chance to enjoy those times God has given me.  Usually on This morning, I would be sitting in a tree-stand waiting for a deer to pass by, or at the lake crappie fishing. Those had become my Thanksgiving morning rituals. 

This Thanksgiving day, I am getting ready to teach creative arts to some students in a classroom in Africa. The path God lays out before us can lead to some pretty unexpected destinations! But I am thankful to be on this journey... probably the most difficult time of my life.

And there are "little" things I'm thankful for today. Thankful to have pure water in little bags so we can drink when we are thirsty, and not have to carry it in buckets. Thankful to not have to worry about whether that water has things in it that would cause Montezuma's revenge. Thankful to have plenty of rice for meals that fill our bellies when I know there are so many empty stomachs around. Thankful to have an awareness of these things. 

I'm thankful to have electricity to charge laptops and cellphones, so that we can send emails and post Facebook messages. Thankful to have internet that is slower than the old dial-up at home, so that I can communicate with family and friends.

Thankful to have family that loves God enough to support me and my family being away from them. Thankful that they recognize that Gods calling in our lives is more important than being together on holidays, even though its hard. 

Thankful that God would ask me to do the hard things. Thankful that He knows what He is doing, even when I don't..

Thankful to have a different perspective of how small I am in the world, and how big He is.

Give thanks, for He is good. His love endures forever. 

Cayle