I'm pausing today to express some gratitude. The world swirls around me with chaos and unending news stories of flood and famine and fire, of sexual harassment and nuclear war. I scroll through my newsfeed and see sickness and sadness, conflict and confusion. In the midst of this, though, there is goodness, mostly in the never-changing, never-fading love of the Father. I'm learning to lean into that love more. It's safety in the midst of the storm. Today, then, I pause for gratitude because, after all, "Gratitude evaporates frustration," an important lesson I taught my students just last week. I am thankful for our new church home where I sit in a Bible study on Jonah on Wednesday nights and realize just how little I've ever been taught about the Bible. I'm thankful for those who have the gift of teaching, who can unravel the story and the historical context and help me understand God's heart more. I am thankful for the campus where I work each day, where I can walk up the stairs and be reminded of the foundation of God's Word. From the breath-taking view outside of my classroom window to the peaceful chapel I walk by on my way to class, I'm thankful for consistent reminders of God's goodness and beauty as well as the importance of community. I am thankful for our sweet pup, Rooney, my constant companion when I write at my little desk or fold laundry at the kitchen table. I am thankful for my marriage. After thirteen years, it feels healthier than ever, even as we've weathered major transitions in the past six months. Chris is my very best friend as well as the best partner ever for laughing at reruns of Seinfeld or talking about the daily news stories. He has sacrificed way more than I have for this move to St. Paul, but he has done it with joy and his ever-present smile. He truly is the best. I am thankful for my sons. My older son makes me think with his deep questions about life followed by a funny joke inspired by Garfield. My younger son lets me cuddle at bedtime and smiles on his way out the door to school, even when he doesn't want to go. They remind me that incredible beauty can come from the ashes, that phoenixes really do exist. I am thankful for the height and depth and width and breadth of God's love, an all-encompassing, safe love. In the midst of the chaos and confusion of the world around me, I am thankful.
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September 2020
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