Thanks Giving

"Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

1 Thessalonians 5:18

This is a glorious day for us all in American and any American anywhere at this time. A day that we celebrate a part of our history, the real birth of our Nation, the first year of abundance and survival of the Colonist. It is a day that we come together with our families and friends, and pour out our love in the form of cheer and fellowship. How precious is this time for us.

I am already missing the smell of turkey but my mind doesn't take much to place it in my nose. We all could probably do this, flood our minds with thoughts and smells and tastes of this celebration gone by. It is of course part of us and the last few years it has been my favorite of times as I know what it is that is important in my life, my loved ones.

I wasn't sure what I was going to feel today, how I would be without being home, without my family. I am at this point doing ok. As I sat this morning I thought about what it really means and what the Colonist really were doing on their Day of Thanksgiving. They were, in fact, thanking God for His provision to them over the past months.

So here I sit, in Afghanistan, wondering about what I am to be thankful for. The first inclination, and one I had to fight, was to say that there is nothing here for me to be thankful for. I don't have my family, I don't have my friends, I don't even have the smell of turkey. But very quickly I thought that I have a tremendous amount to be thankful for. I still have everything that I had before, maybe not with me, but still not gone.

I have more now then I had before. Don't I? I have this experience to always reflect on. I have the knowledge of this Country. I have knowledges of so many different cultures and people. I have knowledge of small community that I did not have before. Of Discipleship and wittnessing. I have knowledge of terrible things and conditions that people have to deal with and knowledge of hardships that I would have never had to know. I have new friends, men I would have never known before, good friends and great ones. I even have knowledge that these words are read by people I will never know. All this from being here.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says to give thanks in all circumstance, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Give thanks in all circumstance, thats where my heart has been through this journey. This is where it is today, in thanking God for this circumstance, as I have tried to do in all. Thanking God for all of the things that are new, old, hardships and joy, for He has provided these to me for His Glory.

Today I ask that you all just to be thankful for all the things that you have. In this thankfulness know that it is from God.

Lord, I trust in you for where you have me be. For the things that you have provided me, good and bad. You have brought me to this place in my life and I thank you for that.