Gratitude

Gratitude

 

Thank you, God, for The Camino. For bringing me to the end of myself physically and spiritually, so I could experience you and your sufficiency. 

Thank you for my first team and the way they loved me and taught me about community and sisterhood.

Thank you for lattes and picnics. 

Thank you for forced, awkward conversations that dragged me out of my comfort zone and taught me how to ask meaningful questions. 

Thank you God, for the people I just clicked with— who were just a breath of fresh air. 

Thank you for Injinji socks and Ahnu boots. 

Thank you for sunlight and the way it changes my mood. 

Thank you for introducing me to new cultures and practices. 

Thank you for opening my eyes to see the value in them. 

Thank you for angels that become guides, translators and friends in desperate times. 

Thank you for the one store that stays open during Eid. 

Thank you for the one ATM that will work with my card. 

Thank you for tears. 

Thank you for someone who just gets me. 

Thank you for someone who pushes me. 

Thank you for someone who makes me laugh.

Thank you for someone who makes me sing. 

Thank you for a place to stay. 

Thank you for Chacos aka weapons of mass roach destruction. 

Thank you for divine appointments at the grocery store. 

Thank you for couscous and tajine. 

Thank you for mysterious wifi at just the right time. 

Thank you for people who try to communicate even without language. 

Thank you for the table and how it brings people together. 

Thank you for breaking my heart for injustice.

Thank you for offering hope. 

THANK YOU FOR GOOGLE TRANSLATE. 

Thank you for parks. 

Thank you for sweaty hugs and sweet kisses. 

Thank you for silly laughs and sticky fingers. 

Thank you for babies to hold, on occasion. 

Thank you for dogs to pet. 

Thank you for preventing fleas… for the most part. 

Thank you for the full fledged attacks on the unwelcome lies that incessantly invade. 

Thank you for your patience in the process. 

Thank you for wine, popcorn and chocolate nights. 

Thank you for La La Land. Every time. 

Thank you for always showing me your Kingdom wherever we are. 

Thank you for visions and dreams. 

Thank you for the right people at the right time. 

Thank you for fulfilling prophecies. 

Thank you for the pruning… I guess. -_-

Thank you for peeling back the layers of my heart to reveal the reality of it. 

Thank you for being there to pick up every dang piece that shattered. Every single time. 

Thank you for the beauty of the mountains, seas, deserts, valleys that I’ve seen. 

Thank you for electric kettles. 

Thank you for washing machines. 

Thank you for that one dryer, that one time. 

Thank you for messages from home. 

Thank you for FaceTime and WhatsApp. 

Thank you for tents. 

Thank you for beautiful sunrises and sunsets. 

Thank you for the church. 

Thank you for seasons. 

Thank you for the way you speak. 

Thank you for Beirut. 

Thank you for each absolutely amazing person I met there. 

Thank you for courage. 

Thank you for mistakes. 

Thank you for grace. 

Thank you for celebrations. 

Thank you for deep, late night conversations. 

Thank you for long-term workers. 

Thank you for short-term workers. 

Thank you for local believers. 

Thank you for commanding me to love my enemies. 

Thank you for honesty and transparency. 

Thank you for feedback. 

Thank you for leadership. 

Thank you for servanthood. 

Thank you for a calling. 

Thank you for a world-wide community. 

Thank you for the really, really hard goodbyes. 

Thank you for miracles. 

Thank you for long lasting friendships. 

Thank you for the hard questions. 

Thank you for your word. 

Thank you for amazingly friendly people. 

Thank you for being a refuge. 

Thank you for language! 

Thank you for taxis with rubber walls… or was that pretend? 

Thank you for men and women of peace. 

Thank you for hope for the nations. 

Thank you for like-hearted people. 

Thank you for flea markets. 

Thank you for fruit juice and smoothies. 

Thank you for warm blankets and heaters. 

Thank you for cool breezes and fans. 

Thank you for shawarma.
Thank you for always bringing me home. 

Thank you for hot drinks. 

Thank you for art.
Thank you for poetry.
Thank you for sweet notes and letters. 

Thank you for photos and videos. 

Thank you for history and legacy. 

Thank you for words to express. 

Thank you for bomb as tattoo shops. 

Thank you for team times. 

Thank you for spicy uno. 

Thank you for alone time. 

Thank you for hot showers. 

Thank you for people who are a light in dark places. 

Thank you for journals. 

Thank you for buses. And trains. And cars. And planes. And boats. And especially subways… I like those the best. 

Thank you for visionaries. 

Thank you for books. 

Thank you for pictures of STL all over the world. 

Thank you for pretty okay Mexican food. 

Thank you for avocados. 

Thank you for being my Father, brother, friend and companion. 

Thank you for ovens that work. 

Thank you for Kingdom businesses. 

Thank you for new songs. 

Thank you for generosity. 

Thank you for one-in-a-lifetime opportunities. 

Thank you for the wonders of the world. 

Thank you for strange, delicious foods. 

Thank you for music. 

Thank you for musicians. 

Thank you for teachers. 

Thank you for stretching me. 

Thank you for intertwining so many lives and stories with mine. 

Thank you for reunions. 

Thank you for respites. 

Thank you for family. 

Thank you for revelation. 

Thank you for experiences I’ll hold in my heart forever. 

Thank you for helping me in the process. 

Thank you for mourning with me. 

Thank you for celebrating with me. 

Thank you for the unexpected. 

Thank you for plans. 

Thank you for who you are. 

Thank you for making me more alive than I’ve ever been. 

Thank you, Abba.