Thankful - part 1

I was sitting in church today when I realized just how ungrateful I can be sometimes. Ungrateful to God, and for what He provides for me. Just like the Israelites. Instead of remembering God's rescue from slavery, they saw the uncertainty of their desert life and complained bitterly. 'If only we could go back,' they said. Feeling like you're wandering can be discouraging.

Sometimes I feel like that. I don't know exactly the when and the where of life's next stopping point. I forget God's goodness in the past, and I embrace the uncertainty I feel in the moment. It can lead to forgetfulness, and thanklessness. So, here's a summary, for my own sake, of God's recent activity in my life - for which I am overwhelmingly thankful...

• My church in W.V. - After several years of searching for a church, I finally found a church that is home. Small, primarily African-American, loud, Appalachian, and with dancing...it doesn't get much different than my white, large, midwestern, conservative church upbringing. But their theology is Christ-centered, and the people love one another. That's pretty much what church is, isn't it? They care about their neighborhood, and they make me feel at home. I've come to love the frantic enthusiasm of the pastor, the faithfulness of the elderly deacon who sits in the front left corner and testifies every Sunday, and the musicians who sometimes jam during the offering to John Mayer's song 'Waiting on the World to Change'...it's good to worship the Creator with them!
• A warm home - This winter I put in a coal stove in my living room, and stopped using propane to heat my house. Most people would say it's a step down in terms of luxury, since it takes more effort to use, and makes dusting a daily necessity. However, I still love it. It's cheap and warm. The cost of heating my home in 2008 - $0 (I've been shoveling buckets of unwanted coal from the basement of my ministry's office for free!)
• Health - I injured my lower back somehow this past summer, and was slow to get back into shape. But God has been healing me, and I'm now strong and healthy again, and even training for a triathlon I hope to do in June. It's a major goal, and I'm just so thankful that my body is healthy enough now to aim for it.

More thankfulness to follow...