Today is Thanksgiving. I don't really like Thanksgiving food and I'm
not really into being thankful either. I can't really do anything
about my pregnant tastebuds, but I'd really like to change my eternal
pessimism. Therefore, I wrote a Thanksgiving list. It's really
cheesy, but it really is how I feel.
 Here is what I am thankful for today:
1.
I'm pregnant: This came with great difficulty for my husband and I for
very boring physiological reasons that I won't get into. It was very
emotional, but now I marvel that without any conscious command, my body
is growing kidneys, toenails, and intestines for another being. And I
am really overwhelmed that his or her heart is beating and already
swishing blood to all of the places it needs.
2. Ruminate:
Really. Not just because I'm writing this blog. The poets, writers,
and other artists involved are my heroes. Sometimes I cannot hold back
the tears when one of the poets captures part of life in a beautiful
and enchanting new way.
3. A Job: I can whine all day about
the things I don't like about my job. But my husband and I both eat
three meals a day, live in a house of our own (well, the bank has part
ownership), and have the ability to go to the doctor. In the
neighborhood where I work, families live on under $10,000 dollars a
year, 99% are single-parent homes, and drugs and violence are rampant. God is certainly at work there too, but I am blessed to be in a place
where I can come home and be warm in the winter.
4. My
family: It's embarrassing that I'm a pessimist when I consider my
family. My parents are the two wisest, best friends I've ever had. My
sisters are my world—I adore everything about them. My husband is
unbelievable—he puts up with so much, listens, and respects me. I
could go on about my husband's family and all of our extended family,
but just know that I am not lying, I am blessed.
5.
Friendships: I have friends who tell me the truth even when it hurts. Friends who want to work on me to make me better and who are there
constantly even when I have not done the same and do not deserve it. I
have friends in Colorado (staff members of Ruminate even), Virginia,
D.C., Memphis, Thailand, Korea, and other places too. They have been a
large part of my sanctification and have helped me to grow in my love
story with Jesus.
So now I feel like a punk. When I lay it out
like this, I have a great deal to be thankful for. Thank goodness God
doesn't love me based on how thankful I am. He loves me because Jesus
died for me and all He sees is righteousness when He looks at me.
Do pregnancy hormones make you suddenly sentimental? I think so.
Whitney Hale lives in Memphis, TN with her husband and miniature
daschund. She is a grant writer/volunteer coordinator for a non-profit
youth ministry in the third poorest urban zip code in America and a
freelance editor for several publications, including Ruminate. She is an oldest child and
so she spends most of her time being critical and analyzing everything
in her life but loves more than anything to enjoy good laughter with
her husband. She is trying to learn how to relax efficiently, be a
better friend, and find more hours in the day.
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