I'm sitting here this morning looking out my friend's window in Kapadokia. They claim that this is the cold corner. Every once in a while my Alaska blog kicks in, I guess. No coldness here. Or maybe its the coffee. Hmm... Yes, for those of you who wonder what I ponder on first thing in the morning, now you know. And it's not all that exciting, is it.
Today is Thanksgiving in the States. Here in Turkey it's Thursday. That's it. Kids will go to school this morning, people will head off to work, stores will open as usual. In Ankara last week I went to Starbucks and saw all the Christmas decorations and cups out. No Thanksgiving in Turkey. But here in this small corner of Kapadokia (think 1 Peter 1 - it's on the list) we are getting ready for a grand feast. We're borrowing an oven from a friend to cook the second of two turkeys. It helps that said friend is in America at the moment and will not be needing her oven between today and Saturday. We're having turkeys (if they don't show up at the butcher, we'll be having chicken), mashed potatoes, PECAN PIE, pumpkin pie, the works really. And we will watch the Lions lose to New England. And we will be thankful.
As I've described this holiday to friends I've wanted to point out that we are not only thankful once a year. So what makes this day special, besides the PECAN PIE? (You may have guessed that we do not actually have pecans here. Someone brought them in from outside and is sharing a PECAN PIE with us tomorrow. I'm a little excited. If anyone knows how to grow pecan trees on a small balcony in the middle of a city, please pass on your sage advice.) We have a time to look back, to reflect, to see remember what God has done in the past, what He is doing now, and what He has promised that He will do and to give Him thanks! If there is anything I am learning from reading through Exodus, it is that we are forgetful people. If we do not choose to remember, we quickly forget and we lie to ourselves in order to convince ourselves that it is okay to sin.
So today, I want to choose to remember. I want to take my choice to remember into my everyday and share this with my friends. In fact, I think I've given up on New Year's resolutions. Instead, between now and next Thanksgiving I want grow in thankfulness so much that in the complaining world I live in I might stand out like a bright star in the universe.
Now to prepare for PECAN PIE!
