Our little family has had some interesting Thanksgivings. We’ve spent Thanksgiving Day eating takeout Chinese food in South America, and we’ve spent Thanksgiving Day serving some good ol’ South Georgia cuisine (or the best thing we could come up with with the resources available to us… like baked chicken instead of Turkey!) to our Peruvian friends who don’t usually cook with butter or eat cheddar cheese. We’ve definitely had some fun experiences overseas, but spending this Thanksgiving in the states has made me think about all of the little things that we have to be grateful for today, but usually overlook! Here are my top 5 favorite things about being in the states during Thanksgiving:
- Turkey. Are you eating turkey today? Did you find it in the local Walmart? Did you walk right up to that Turkey, pick it up and put it in your buggy? What a blessing! (Don’t laugh… I’m serious!) In many other countries, the journey to find a Turkey to cook for Thanksgiving dinner can be a long and often impossible one. Sometimes you can find one at special import stores for a crazy expensive price, but most of the time you may have to settle for chicken instead!
- Family. Although sometimes dramatic and dysfunctional, be thankful that you get to celebrate with family. We can forget that celebrating with family is a privilege and not an obligation until we don’t have the option to! It can be hard to miss out on holidays and special occasions while living overseas, and I’m so thankful to be able to celebrate with family this year!
- Traditions. And by traditions, I mean food. Because when you live in the south, food is definitely a tradition! Just think…. Butter! Cheddar cheese! Sweet tea! Pumpkin pie! All delicacies… I could go on and on, but I will just stop here and praise Jesus that I ate a huge piece of pumpkin pie with whip cream on top for lunch. Praise Him!
- Seasons. The changing seasons and beautiful leaves that we see this time of year are breathtaking and unique! In Peru, there is Winter and Summer. And honestly, what I consider to be Winter in Peru wouldn’t be considered winter at all for someone who didn’t grow up in South Georgia and wasn’t used to wearing shorts in November. I will never take the Fall season for granted again!
- Celebrations. Enjoy all of the wonderful celebrations this time of year. Fall festivals, hay rides, community events, church gatherings, holidays from school and work! Since other countries don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, the holiday comes and goes outside of the homes of expats, and you would never know the difference.
Living in another country is an amazing experience, and it gives you a whole new perspective on things to be thankful for. If you are struggling to find things to give thanks for this Thanksgiving, I hope this list helps you remember to be thankful for the little things, like TURKEY, that we always take for granted!
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. -Colossians 3:17
With messy hair and wild grace,
Ellyn
