Thanksgiving

Being an SM is hard. There is no other way to say it. To say that it's just a vacation from school or that it's a year of continual fun and excitement could only be said by someone who's never done it. To say that it's an impossible task that can't be done and will ultimately destroy your life would also be untrue. Yes, some missionaries have it easier than others but I've never heard of anyone saying that they never had a bad experience or felt lonely at some point. So to say that it's "hard" I think is the best adjective I can give.

There are certain days during your missionary year that confirm the fact that you just might survive this year. For me, Thanksgiving was definitely one of those days. Of course I missed my family and friends terribly but I have begun to form a new family here at NUA that did a pretty good job at filling in for them. It was fun for all of us to sit and reflect on how far we've all come since the start of the year. I know it's only been 3 months but we really are starting to feel like family here. Even our competitive staff football game, where half of us came out with bloody knees and sore legs, couldn't tear us apart. Nothing like some good Thanksgiving football.

Being thankful. Such an easy concept when you really think about. This has to be the biggest cliché in the book but shoot if your reading this that means you are alive, have eyes to see the screen, and the brain capacity to find this webpage and to read it. Imagine your life without those last 2. (Cause without the first you wouldn't be alive) Now we all know that the concept of being thankful is all about your mental state of mind right. If you are always thinking and looking for things to praise God about, trust me you're going to find them. If you're always looking for the worst, well, you'll find that to. But I say that it goes beyond just looking for things to be thankful for.  I know people who are thankful and content with most of their life but still can't seem to find God in all of it. Well what if it was just a state of mind. If you believe God exists, which is the first step in getting to know him, then maybe it's just a matter of looking for him in your daily life.

I recently read in a devotional book called "Jesus Life Coach" that one of the best ways to see God in your life is to take something that you don't see too often and make a pact with God by saying, "Whenever I see this, I'll know that your with me". I chose the monarch butterfly. I don't know why, I've just always been intrigued by them since I see them so little. I have begun to see a monarch butterfly almost every day since I made that pact. Now someone who is scientific and has the info could tell me that monarch butterflies don't live in Egypt and it's impossible for them to be here. All I know is that I've been seeing butterflies that look like monarchs and it reminds me that God is right there with me. So back to my original point, if you find a way to see God in your life every day, won't it make him that much more real to you? I can't remember seeing a single butterfly here in Egypt until the day that I made that deal. That's not to say they weren't always here, I just wasn't looking for them. I think you can all guess where I'm going with that.

Thanksgiving was one of the best days I've had here. The food was great, the people were awesome, and God showed me how far I've come since that first day that I landed here. There is no doubt in my mind that I needed to be here this year not only for this school but for myself. It may not be the best Thanksgiving I've ever had but it's definitely taught me the most. Thanks to all of you who read this and I hope you are all touched in at least some small way by the humble words I type. God bless all of you and I hope you had an awesome Thanksgiving.