Being on the mission field for 112 days, has changed me. It has opened my eyes to the reality of how blessed I actually am. It has made me so vividly aware of the things that I have taken for granted. It has created this deep desire inside of me to never want to whine or complain again.
I know… never is a strong word, and an impossible goal I have set for myself. But I pray that the people I have met, the experiences I have gone through, and the events I have witnessed will forever change me. That they will forever be engraved on my mind and on my heart. Because when that happens, my focus shifts and I find myself staring at my Savior’s face, becoming more and more aware of how good I have it.
“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” (Psalm 9:1)
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” (Psalm 100:4)
So here are a few things that I am sooo thankful for since being on the Race.
Hot Water – We seldom have hot water, and if we do we are using it to make coffee. (Praise! At least we have coffee- AKA Nescafé, a lovely mixture of powdered milk, creamer, and “coffee”.) No hot water means cold showers, but when it’s pushing 100 degrees the cold shower is exactly what I need!
WiFi/AirDrop – I opted out of an international plan, meaning I rely on WiFi for any contact outside of my team. But WiFi sometimes is as hard to find as a Mexican food restaurant. And sometimes you need to get that picture that your teammate just took of you and a cute kid as soon as possible. How do we do this? Through the God send that is AirDrop. No need to stop and pray for the connection to pull through- all you need is Bluetooth. Thank you, Apple.
Traffic Laws – You don’t realize what you have until it’s gone. I thought Texas drivers were crazy, however I’ve been living in a constant state of fearing for my life. Why rely on silly things like lanes and red lights when you can trust someone else’s instinct?
Trash Cans – I’m no hippie but wow do I miss recycling, compost, and trash cans. Much like the traffic lanes, trash cans are few and far between. If you need to get rid of something, simply toss it on the ground and walk away… with that being said, make sure to watch your step!
Sonic (and other fast food chains) – Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved the international food I’ve had. From chapati to momos to okra curry, my palette has widened immensely. But the heart wants what the heart wants- and sometimes that’s a Route 44 strawberry limeade during happy hour at Sonic. Or chips and queso from Fuzzy’s. Sometimes I’m so desperate to have something I have deemed “a comfort food” that I’ll even salivate over a taco from Taco Bell or nugs from McDonald’s.
A Good Septic System – I haven’t flushed toilet paper down a toilet in 4 months (minus the occasional accidental drop when I forget where I am). And that is if I am lucky enough to have a toilet to be hovering over… sometimes it is a squatty. The cleanliness that a toilet and good septic system brings is absolutely beautiful. No trash cans with people’s nasty toilet paper in it, means no raunchy smells… But hey, at least it’s always leg day.
“Air Con” – AC units are scarce. Most of the time if a place does have AC, it just means that they have a fan available. Or a window. We were lucky enough to find an extra fan this month… the exposed wiring didn’t matter… until I got electrocuted and thought I was having a stroke. Airflow > Life.
My Bed – I have always loved my bed, but now I have more of an appreciation for it. In the last 4 months I have slept on trains, buses, airport floors, Asian mats, hostels, and a blow up mat. Although there has been multiple nights I’ve slept soundly… my bed still trumps them all.
Seasons – While on the Race, we have been chasing summer. It has been hot. Like melt your face off hot. There have even been days when our ministry host won’t want us to go outside because it is so hot. So I’m thankful that I get to experience seasons (for the most part) in Texas.
Although these reasons may be trivial and funny, they are a reality for the majority of the population around the world. We are rich, and I am not just talking about money. We have beds to sleep in and AC units to crank up if we wanted. We can flush our toilet paper down and not fear it ruining our septic system. We have a septic system that carries our waste FAR AWAY from our house so we don’t have to smell our goodies. Internet is easily assessable almost everywhere we go, and if we don’t have internet… we have data so we can still scroll Instagram and Pinterest.
I have it good, even in my “hard” or “bad” seasons. I so often get so focused on the big things, like getting a new job or passing a hard exam… I forget about the small daily blessings, like a toothbrush or septic system. While being on the Race, I have just realized the things I’ve taken for granted are the exact things that these people, I have been doing life with, are praying for.
So be thankful my friends. I would encourage you to think of the “little things” you take for granted. Because I promise you families in small Indian huts, and street kids in Nepal, and ex-cons in Thailand, and orphans in Cambodia are probably praying for something similar. Being thankful for the small things help us to remember we are blessed even when the big things don’t happen the way we want. Life is too short to complain. My hope is that we would become obsessed with being thankful and through our thankfulness, we draw closer to our God.
Happy Thanksgiving from Cambodia!
