Thanksgiving

So next week is Thanksgiving.
It has gotten me thinking a lot about what it means to celebrate holidays again a world away from our families and what seems normal to us. I must admit it is a hard thing and never really gets easier. However, I am excited to celebrate them for what they really are. As I begin to get ready for Thanksgiving (we are doing a huge outreach and planning for 100 people to come), I have been thinking about what that holiday means to me this year. It obviously can't be about spending time with family, black friday, cranberry sauce or pumpkin pie. But in spite of all of that the purpose of the holiday remains, to be thankful. I do have so much to be thankful for. And most of all Christ. As we prepare to cook this large meal for students and open up our hearts for them I am reminded of how much I have in Christ. I guess it is my thankfulness for the life I have in Christ that propells me to give up my holiday to serve the Lord and prayerfully bring people into His Kingdom. The sadness will still be there on the day (especially when I remember how good my mom's pies are and see all my family together on the webcam), but I do pray that all of us, not just Keith and I, will be able to experience this holiday in a new way and focus on our thankfulness instead of everything we feel is missing in our lives.