This is my favorite time of the year. Thanksgiving just passed and Christmas is on the horizon. Thanksgiving looked a little different this year. My team and the other three teams that I live with decided to have a friends-giving on the roof of our compound. We ate some delicious Indian supper and we all chipped in to buy various desserts from the grocery store near by. We went in a circle saying kind comments about the person on our right. When doing this I realized some things that I am so grateful for that I probably wouldn’t even think of in America.
For instance: India has a mass quantity of bugs, especially in the evening when all the lights inside the open compound are on. I have to walk around with shoes on otherwise I will be stepping on a million tiny black bugs which will embed themselves in the bottom of my feet. There a couple of women here who cook, sweep the floors, and clean the bathrooms. I love going in the bathroom seeing that one of the sweet women had just been in there washing all the bugs away. Yay! Now I can shower without a ton of little bugs at my feet.
Chai. Every day the ladies stir up some delicious chai for us. I never knew how much I loved chai until I arrived in India. Praise the Lamb!
Cool nights. As you probably know, India is known for being hot, especially along the coast. Right now it is winter which could be considered Georgia’s summer. However, recently it has been cooling off. Now I don’t wake up in a pool of sweat and a lair of grease on my face. God is good!
Balcony’s. Sometimes it’s hard to get alone time on the race when living with 20 other people. I found a little balcony on the side of the compound building where I can go for alone time to read a book or have intimate time with Jesus. On a good day when the wind has blown the pollution away a little bit, I can catch a glimpse of a mountain in the distance. God created beautiful things.
Community. Although sometimes this can be hard, it is actually one of my favorite aspects of being on the race. Being an extrovert, having people around me is constantly something I treasure. Not only do I live in a community, but a GOOD community at that who love Jesus a whole lot. Everyday is a new surprise. A new fruitful conversation. A new time for growth.
There’s so much that God has blessed us with. Sadly, there is so much we complain and grumble about. So many things we take for granted. Instead of having a “the cup is half empty” concept in your mind, try having a “wow my God is so great and loves me so much. He has blessed me with breath in my lungs and access to His Spirit.” That’s something worth being grateful for everyday.
Peace and Blessings from India?? xoxo
