Grateful to be Growing

GRATEFUL to be GROWING…

Lately I have noticed so many more people on social media posting the things, the people and the relationships they are grateful for. My cousin posted a pic of the Rockies in Colorado as God’s handiwork that just can’t be beat and asked us to outdo him.

(I responded with my own pics of Lake Michigan from last weekend.)

In the midst of the outburst of pics and thoughts he let me know that he gets to be with my son at Thanksgiving. My heart was so happy! While I am sad we will not see TanMan at our home, I am grateful that he will be with family, and we will be with family as well.

Last weekend I posted a few pics of some young women (yep – all younger than I!) who continue to teach me, challenge me, walk with me, love me and hold me close to their hearts, though we live far away and can only meet up a couple times a year. They are chosen family with over thirty years of history. (We all met in Michigan.) And I talk to at least one of them every day via Marco Polo. We leave video messages for one another. We listen to meditations each day together. We talk through our thoughts and pray and work through our fears and concerns. I am so grateful for these people who love me.

I am grateful that I was able to put my feet in the sandy beach and feel the cold water numbing my toes.

I am thankful that I have begun to find friends here in Ohio. It has been a long four years of crazy schedules, a million different jobs, more education and more work all-nighters (at 62) than I ever had in high school, college and motherhood. But the people that I have met, been educated beside and worked with this past year have become invaluable to me. Trusting and loving others deeply, becoming vulnerable and remaining so is difficult when there has been no history. But I will say, going through Clinical Pastoral Education and being mentored by people who get me, who trust me, and who walk with me has changed my life FOREVER! What a gift! I am grateful for my educator who reminds me of my calling. I am grateful for those who have walked this journey of chaplaincy with me, encouraging me to be vulnerable and work my tail off and not quit! I am grateful for these amazing humans!

I am thankful for the people who continue to walk through grief, challenges and unspeakable pain and then take a walk in the park with me on a day off or speak with me on Marco Polo. I am thankful for the laughter, the tears, and the beauty that surrounds us on those days.

I am grateful for those who believe in the Jesus’ message of hope for the oppressed, food for the hungry and water for the thirsty, while advocating for freedom from imprisonment, civil rights for all, and the celebration of the Imago Deo in every single person we meet. I am grateful for those who use their position, their authority and their voices to speak out as the world continues to be heavy, divided, and war-torn.

I am grateful for dinners and laughter with Mom Garner (even when she has no idea how hilarious she is) and phone calls to Mom and Dad, FaceTimes with kids, grandkids and sisters. I am thankful to play wordle with my mom and sisters (every day that I remember-ha!) Just the fact that we can think about and figure out words at these ages is a true gift.I am thankful for these life-giving engagements throughout my week.

I am grateful to be strong and getting stronger every day as Ken has helped me with my new goal of lifting heavy weights as I age, so that I can be stronger not more frail. I have been working toward deadlifting my body weight. (Almost halfway there. Would never have gotten here without Ken's expertise - he has been lifting since he was a young teen.)

I am so very grateful for the love of my handsome and amazing man who believes in me, and I in him. I am thankful for his encouragement to continue in this program when I am just exhausted. I am grateful that he understands this commitment – he has gone through it and is continuing his formal education with another master’s as he works full-time at a chaplaincy job that he loves. I am grateful to be loved and celebrated by him.

As we get nearer and nearer to the day that many families will gather next week – what are you grateful for? Whom are you grateful to and for? Speak it out. It helps lessen the loneliness of this world. Gratefulness reminds us that there is good all around us that needs to be recognized even when we so much more easily see the things that break our hearts.

I am grateful for you!

Have a great week!

And remember…LOVE MORE LESS FEAR!