Thankful for. . . A LOT!

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Blessed to be back in the States for a summer reunion with the family!

I cannot lie. I genuinely thought God had grown me in patience through a year of teaching math to a bunch of children, through a year of waiting to see changed hearts, through a year of waiting for so many questions to be answered. Really, I thought I had more patience. . . until the trip home! Patience, Katie, patience. :) Flight cancellations, finally five flights, and delays, and layovers, and Customs, missing luggage. . . and NO sleep! But, my family loved the sleepwalking, fine mess that walked off the plane 50-something hours later anyway. And I think then I understood unconditional love a little better. Yes, they claimed me, staggering down the airport escalator with bloodshot eyes, a dazed look -- even with gazillion and three African braids.

The Lost African Girl? No way! I am so found! As broken and stained as I am, Christ claims me: "This one is Mine. I, Who knew no sin, became sin so that in Me you might become the righteousness of God." And so gladly and desperately and with a grateful heart I plead for His promised grace as I hide myself in the cleft of this Treasure, this Rock. I trade my ashes for beauty. . . His beauty. And I smile and cry as He wraps me in His righteousness.

Honestly, I'm overwhelmed.
Overwhelmed because God has given me so much.
And my mind is still trying to process it all. I hope it does the rest of my life.
And as it does so, I'm spilling gratitude and praying that He would give me the grace to be faithful with all He has entrusted to me.

As I reflect on these past several months in Malawi, these are just some things I'm so thankful for right now:

#1 Jesus, my Savior: His life, His death, His resurrection, His love, His power, His righteousness
#2 My Bibles: the living and active Word of God in my language that comforts, convicts, strengthens, rebukes, guides, and encourages me
#3 The Holy Spirit, my Helper
#4 My Education: the ability to be able to read the Word of God
#5 Mom and Dad: the first people that told me about my serious plight . . . and then introduced me to Jesus
#6 Prayer: the opportunity to pour out my soul before my Creator with the assurance that I'm always being heard
#7 My Church: a close-knit family in Christ, fellowship, accountability, sound teaching and preaching
#8 Communion: the opportunity to commune with Him, to intentionally remember the Cross, and proclaim His death and resurrection until He comes again
#9 God's sufficient grace: favor towards me that I could never earn but that has proved itself over and over again a thousand times through
#10 Books and a plethora of Christian resources in my language: resources to learn from and be encouraged by others who are persevering in the faith!
#11 Airplanes: transportation that allows me to see the global church
#12 God's power: the kind that is made perfect in my many weaknesses
#13 Good health and a strong body: the ability to have lots of energy around my kids. . .energy to tell them the greatness of a glorious God
#14 My students: they help me see Jesus as more precious as I try to explain to them the Treasure He is
#15 The babes at the Crisis Nursery: they remind me of my dependency upon Jesus in all things
#16 My three sisters and two brothers: the kind that I can call "friends", too!
#17 Brothers and sisters: my family in Christ!
#18 Opportunities to be used as God's tool in the midst of a hurting world, opportunities to share Him with others
#19 God's impeccable timing: the way He does everything for both His glory and my good, even when it means "wait"
#20 Music: another way to praise and give God the glory due to His name
#21 Freedom: the privilege to talk about the greatness of God and the beautiful gospel message, especially at ABCCA
#22 God's pursuit of me: His intense desire for me!
#23 Hope: eager anticipation and trust -- the kind that carries me through when it's placed in an amazing God who is fully capable of doing exactly what He promises
#24 God's beautiful creation: declarations of His glory
#25 God's patience: the kind exercised as I stumble along and grow -- sometimes so slowly
#26 God's perfect peace: inner calmness and surety in the midst of a storm
#27 The village: a reminder to me that Jesus is EVERYTHING I need
#28 Rest: when all my burdens are taken straight to Jesus
#29 Forgiveness: Jesus' healing and cleansing of all my unrighteousness
#30 Confidence: the kind that is unshakable because it is rooted in the LORD
#31 The sufficiency of Christ: in Him I lack no good thing!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
James 1:17