“We need to
thank God not solely for what we have, but also for who we are, since we are
created in the image of God.”
In
the spirit of Thanksgiving, I have a lot to be thankful for; a family that
loves me, friends that supports me; and a loving community that I have been
welcomed into… When I think about all
that I have and all my privileges, I recognize that I am blessed.
Yet, if I am honest with
myself, I realize that it is often hard for me to be thankful and to recognize
my blessings. What I struggle with the most is accepting myself with all my
faults, my struggles, and my qualities.
There is restlessness within me. I yearn for more. If I was smarter,
more talented, more this and more that, perhaps I would be more lovable, or so
I believe.
I see myself in a lot of the
people that I serve, whether at BARN or at BEACON. We all have our vulnerabilities, our
fragilities, and our weaknesses. We
connect through our common struggles, our desires to overcome them and become
the best person that we can be. I see it
in the mothers who, despite their abusive and oppressive past, see BARN as a
second chance and tries desperately to provide a better life for themselves and
their children. I see it in the
immigrants who, despite not knowing how to read and write in their native
language, try their hardest to learn the language of their adoptive country in
the hope of a better future. All around
me, if I take the time to see, I recognize those tender moments in life.
What I need to do is be thankful
for them, is to recognize the blessings in those life experiences and
struggles. I need to see them as God’s way of shaping my life. I need to learn to be joyful despite what I
believe to be my failures.
In her book, Called to
Question, Joan Chittister said, “… We far too often expect joy to come to us
rather than realizing that we have a spiritual responsibility to make it for
ourselves.” Though it is hard to find joy in my struggles, weakness, and vulnerabilities,
those life experiences often shaped me to be a more understanding,
compassionate, and hospitable person. If
I am able to bring joy to others, I frequently find that I am joyful
myself. I believe that it is by accepting
ourselves, all that we are, with all our faults and qualities, that we learn to
lean on each other, support each other, and embrace each other through our
incompleteness.
I hope you
had a blessed Thanksgiving and I will be keeping all of you in my thoughts and
prayers during this advent season!
Peace,
Christina