Countdown to Thanksgiving

[Okay, so I was on such a roll of keeping up with my thankful posts (so rare for me) and then I got bogged down and started feeling more frazzled and frumpy than thankful. That said, I'm cheating and backdating this one so it looks like I still kept up.]

#4 - God's plan. I'm thankful to live where I live and have the freedoms that I am privileged to have. I could go on and on here about not taking things for granted, but this is supposed to be about thankfulness, not whining. The specific freedom I'm thinking of today is that of religious freedom. I'm thankful that we can go to church wherever we want. There was a guest speaker at church a few weeks ago and I find myself still thinking about his message.

This gentleman was from another part of the world. The thing that really struck me was how he was able to put together a timeline of his life and corresponding things that were happening here, halfway around the world, that would impact him later. I don't really remember specifics, but it was something like, when he was 3 or 4, an American couple went to Bible school with the intention of translating a portion of the Bible into his language. Of course, this couple didn't know him, but God did and had a plan.

That's the part of the message that I keep going back to. I know God knows me and has a plan for me. So, why, oh why, do I whine about certain things so much? I love love love being at home with my boys. But it's lonely and exhausting and not so glamorous. I had a very social work environment - friends I loved sharing my life with and could laugh with; lunches out; a grasp on current events. I got dressed up every day and put on makeup and nice clothes and shoes that made me feel pretty. Now, there are days where my slippers are the only shoes I wear (and some of you know how NOT pretty those are!). There's a lot of snot and spit up and raised voices and whining.

BUT, I keep remembering the message and thinking, "THIS is where God has placed me. And, knowing that, am I using this time the way that He would have me?" I'm not sure what it all means to me right now, but God keeps bringing it to my mind. And I know He has a plan for me!