thankful this season

thankful this season for:

simplicity
sunrise, sunset, water from a well
a bucket, scoop and liquid soap
heavy, ripe fruit from tropical trees
mangoes, bananas, pineapples, watermelon and lychees
five matching, striped porcelain coffee cups
Illy coffee to go in them
cool nights sleeping under a blanket
waking up warm but not sweaty!

connections
a house full of noisy chatter
new friends around the dinner table
stories of people coming to faith
seeing the church in Poipet grow
believers growing up and serving others
labouring together in the harvest field
love, love, love and silly smiles
and kisses and romance and adventure

learning
thirteen years of public school education
(mixed results amidst well deserved detentions!)
several years of tertiary education too
ongoing learning in challenges and changes
book thieving, informal research and conversations
wisdom from the lips of children
running and all it teaches me
purposeful pain in training and racing

people
strangers who call out, "hello, hello"
people who know me and smile
prophets and artists see life differently
creatively revealing their own perspectives
friends who know all my failures
love me, and push me forward
encouragers, supporters, critics, clowns and crowds
long distance phone conversations, airport reunions