I give thanks

I wrote this last Saturday but I wanted to share it hopefully to encourage, but also for accountability. I know there will be times when I will want to complain and times that will be emotionally tough. I know those days will come, of that I have no doubt, but I want to be prepared. I want to have something to look back on, something to remind me of His faithfulness that will help me to trust that He can and will continue to be faithful as He is faithful now.

As I sit here this morning, it’s raining outside, it’s fairly quiet in the hall, I have nothing pressing to do. On some days, a time like this might drive me crazy. So often I feel as though I should be doing something; and if I’m not, I feel guilty and lazy for it. But I don’t today. In the stillness and in the quietness of this time, I give thanks. Thanks that He has brought me here. I write this now so that I will be reminded, on days when I just want a good friend to be with, or when I want to get in my car and drive to the store, or sit at Starbucks and read, or go see a movie, and “thanks” is not the first word that comes to mind. Now that God’s hand of providence is fresh on my mind, I give thanks. Now that I feel truly grateful to be in this place, and nowhere else, I give thanks.

“Remembering is an act of thanksgiving, a way of thanksgiving; this turn of the heart over time’s shoulder to see all the long way His arms have carried…remembering with thanks is what causes us to trust- to really believe.”  

One Thousand Gifts

On a separate note…

I hailed my first taxi today! It’s funny how the seemingly small things at home become such huge things when you are in a place that is so unfamiliar (not that I hailed any taxis at home, but if I did, I would at least have the assurance of being able to communicate with the taxi driver). I had lunch today with a girl I met at the Joy language school last week when I went to observe a class. She is from Oregon and has been here a little over two years. We went to a little café that served great coffee and homemade cheesecake. She brought along two of the other foreign teachers.  I made a comment to her about the staring (which I made reference to in a previous post) and she said it actually gets more aggravating the longer you are here because there comes a point where not only do you see them staring, but you also begin to understand what they are saying. I guess until I get to that point I will live in ignorant bliss.

After lunch, we walked to Wancheng Park (where the other little coffee shop was that I went to last week) and I walked around and read for a little while. I ran into our Chinese teacher there, which made this city of 6 million seem a little more familiar. I guess it brings new meaning to the term “one in a million”…only here it would be “one in six million” J