I struggle to think positive. More of a pessimist, really. I title this entry tongue in cheek. Optimism is not the cure for pessimism.I was reading my Bible this morning, and was really convicted that I frequently try to fight negativity with optimism. Not only that, but I have overlooked the biblical solution to negative thoughts and words. Over and over in the book of Ephesians, Paul exhorts the people to cease speaking negative and unfruitful words, and to be thankful.
Thankfulness is the key.
So. Convicted, I picked up my pen and began to write out some things I'm thankful for.
I'm thankful to be here doing what I'm doing. I have had the privilege to tell quite a few people about Jesus - many of whom had never heard of him before. I have met some remarkable people, eaten crazy things, traveled to wonderful places and met normal people in the middle of nowhere (just like I used daydream about as a kid). I have been living my childhood dreams for 2 years. I have learned a lot, become bilingual, survived refining trials, and grown in faith and understanding.
I'm thankful for the physical difficulties I've faced. The illnesses, back pain, the discomforts of travel and village trips. I'm thankful because Jesus promised hardship, and since I receive his promised inheritance with joy, I will also choose to receive his promised pain with joy. I'm thankful because these struggles and pains remind me that heaven will be painless and glorious, my tears will be wiped away by my loving creator. I'm thankful because pain reminds me to rely on God for strength and deliverance and not to be complacent in my strength and wellness.
I'm thankful for the physical and relational distance from friends and family in America, and for the transition that has taken place in my cultural "soul". Thankful because now I clearly have no true home on this side of heaven, and that sense of unbelonging reminds me that I will not be home until Jesus brings all things to completion.
I'm thankful for continued singleness, because I have the freedom to respond to God without needing to accommodate a husband. I also have that reminder that I await true intimacy with my Lord, without that disappointment that such intimacy is not possible with another person.
I'm thankful that I live in a place where some familiar creature comforts are available, because this makes the difficulty of living here less difficult. But I'm also thankful that some of those creature comforts are disappointing - like internet being really slow, frequent power/water outages, butter being hard to find and expensive to buy, or my oven being a wicked frustrating piece of junk. The fact that these conveniences are not as good/reliable as their American versions reminds me that I'm fortunate to have them at all, and that I'm really not in America and shouldn't expect this place to be like America.
I'm also thankful for the American creature comforts I don't have, because lacking them has helped me to adjust to living here (and keep off the extra pounds). I've been forced to become accustomed to new things because familiar things are unavailable.
I'm thankful for the availability of sermons on the internet. I'm thankful for the Reformation and the printing press, which together resulted in easily attainable copies of the Bible in free countries, and specifically the several English translations in my apartment. I
'm thankful for the translation of the Bible into languages of closed countries, especially this one, and for the work being done to translate it into still more languages.I could go on all day, but cyberspace isn't big enough to hold all the things we should be thankful for. "always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:20)
