Being Thankful on Thanksgiving Day
11/24/2016
I am thankful for many things. Good health. At my age, (Please do not ask me how old I am.) I can still play basketball with the boys and girls from my daughter’s varsity team. Thank God. Although after every practice, my aching bones are reminding me that I need to slow down. (Please do not remind me that I am in my mid 50s.) Maybe, I should consult the “Higher Powers” of basketball. Where is Michael Jordan when I need him?
I am thankful for a sturdy roof in our house. I truly appreciate it, most especially when a typhoon comes in and pays a visit to the island. I know my friends and family in North America will be dealing with snow and ice. What are Holidays for without the snow, right? We can trade. You can send me your turkey, pumpkin pie, and other good stuff, and I will send you warm rain and good weather. Is that a deal?
I am thankful for a good school for my children. Morrison Academy of Kaohsiung (MAK) is a missionary school that also serves the national business community by giving quality education to local business family, as well as diplomats and other international people living in the city. Jacob is able to play middle school baseball with children from Japan, Korea, and other nearby Asian countries. While we are on the subject of baseball, when you send your turkey, please wrap it in a Chicago Cubs jersey shirt. I heard that Thanksgiving meat taste better when wrap together with a Kris Bryant jersey or a Rizzo shirt. I am sure you know I am a very serious guy, right? After 108 years, Thanksgiving turkey should taste better this 2016.
I am thankful for Holy Light Theological Seminary (HLTS). I am so privileged to be a part of the team here. The students are very engaging. They bless me with their stories. We have been exchanging family histories. I tell them my descendants are Spanish pilgrims from Mexico, and in return they tell me their history of moving from China to Taiwan. I tell them about Sarah’s grandmother. (She is a good Christian and a dedicated Chicago Cubs fan, and who is now happy in heaven after the Cubs won the 2016 World Series.) I recount many other stories, and the students respond with their own stories of coming to God and receiving His salvation through the witness of family and friends. Praise God! By the way, most of these students have never experienced American Thanksgiving Day. So, when you send those turkey and corn bread, I will definitely share it with them. Please, do not forget to wrap them in a Kris Bryant baseball jersey shirt, okay? Did I mention the turkey will taste better?
I am thankful for my family. To my extended family from the Philippines, I am so amazed at your patience with me, and my October ramblings on social media about the Chicago Cubs. To my in-laws in Illinois, I will certainly miss the holiday gathering for the big Thursday meal. To my children, Carmen and Jacob, I thank God for you both. You make parenting work a fun and creative journey for me. And to my wife, Sarah, Happy Thanksgiving! All it takes is for you to walk in the living room, and I find myself smiling and being grateful for everything. God gifted me with you. I am thankful.
To all our supporters and intercessors from Illinois, Michigan, and California, you are very much appreciated. Thank you for all your donations and commitments that you are giving to God’s work here in Asia. Thank you for your prayers. And to some of you, I thank you for those long-distance phone calls and your emails replying to our newsletter. You make this missionary work full of joy and surprises. Happy Thanksgiving!