Five for Friday:Thankfulness
I think one ofmy favorite things about November (aside from red cups!) is the way so many people decide to look for things to be thankful for in their everyday life. I've really enjoyed seeing pictures on facebook and Instagram and reading what people are choosing to be thankful for. I've tried over the last few years to be thankful for more than just the big stuff- to take a step back and realize that God is in the details just as much as He's in the big life events. So I decided to take a minute to acknowledge some of the things I'm grateful for.
1. Our Missional Community. I know, I probably sound like a broken record by now, but I can't even explain how much I love and appreciate this group of people. What started as a few couples that kind of knew each other a year ago has grown into an ever-growing group of people who have become my best friends. One of the hardest things about leaving Valpo for me was the loss of community- I went from having amazing friends literally surrounding me to a new state with very few friendly faces. As my time in Maryland went on, I made a few friends here and there, but my crazy work schedule combined with living in the city made me really lonely. Over the last year my loneliness has completely disappeared and Tres and I find ourselves wishing we had more time to devote to hanging out with this great people. But- it's more than just great friendship. These people teach me more about loving and living like Jesus on a daily basis than I ever expected, and I know I can count on any one of them for prayer, support and encouragement. Just this week a large group of them sacrificed their time and energy to help with the Christmas build at church, for which the responsibility has fallen largely on Tres, and it made the work fun and we accomplished so much. I think being surrounded by transparent, genuine married couples has given Tres and I more realistic expectations of what lies ahead, while also giving us plenty of people to ask for advice when we get frustrated with one another. MC has made Mondays one of my favorite days of the week.
2. A sister who has become one of my best friends. When Liz and I were little, we didn't really like each other. I was just young enough to always be annoying, so we didn't spend much time together. As she grew older and left for college, we got along better, but I was still grateful at the end of the summer that she would be leaving soon. When I made the move to Maryland over four years ago, I hoped that it would lead to a closer relationship with her, and it most certainly has. We've been through a lot in the last few years, and each time we get a difficult phone call, I find myself even more grateful for someone who understands me and where I came from to talk to and help sort out the issues. It's been so fun to watch her embrace motherhood the last three years, and I am always impressed by her work ethic and level of determination about anything she attempts, but most certainly her studies. Since my parents divorced when I was so young and my siblings are so much older, I never really felt that close to my family members, but now I can easily say that Sissy is one of the people who knows me best and whose support I appreciate most.
3. A job that is constantly challenging me and making me a better person. I've said before that one of my favorite things about my job is how it forces me to focus on the needs of other people. While sometimes that leaves me totally drained when I'm not at work, I love that no matter what is going on outside of work, when I step on to the unit I know I have other things to focus on and accomplish. This year has been especially difficult at work because we've had a serious changeover in staffing. That means I've had to say goodbye to some of my closest work friends, and we've been short-staffed for months now, which means working a lot more than I usually do, and often working harder when I'm here. Our patients have been sicker than normal too, so work has been stressful- but I still love it and love our patients. I love getting to see them get better and sometimes they even come to visit during their follow up appointments. Even though I've been doing this for almost four years, rarely does a shift go by where I don't learn something new or have to think outside the box in some way. I'm never bored.
4. That Maryland feels like home. Originally, it was a five-year plan. Come live with Liz and Billy, get a job, work for about five years and move somewhere else- probably back to Portland. Now that I'm four and a half years in, I can't imagine leaving anytime soon. Granted, I'm two years away from finishing my grad school program, so I know I'll be here at least that long, I don't even really wish I could leave earlier. While I still see myself leaving Maryland at some point, probably in the not too distant future- I love the community we've found here, and for right now, this is the perfect place to be.
5. A supportive boyfriend. I knew I'd love having Tres here for a lot of reasons, but I don't think I realized just how much I would come to need his support. We've been through a lot in the four years we've been friends, and the 3+ years we've been together, and honestly, I don't think I would've survived without him. Whether it's flying across the country to help make and my grandmother laugh or bringing me food and encouraging me through each grad school paper, his support is constant and strong and I am so very grateful for it. I know I don't say thank you enough. He's the best at calming me down and making me laugh, knows exactly what to say when I feel discouraged, and makes a pretty mean grilled cheese too.
Since I'll be working Thanksgiving, I guess you could count this as my piece in the "what are you thankful for" table share.
1. Our Missional Community. I know, I probably sound like a broken record by now, but I can't even explain how much I love and appreciate this group of people. What started as a few couples that kind of knew each other a year ago has grown into an ever-growing group of people who have become my best friends. One of the hardest things about leaving Valpo for me was the loss of community- I went from having amazing friends literally surrounding me to a new state with very few friendly faces. As my time in Maryland went on, I made a few friends here and there, but my crazy work schedule combined with living in the city made me really lonely. Over the last year my loneliness has completely disappeared and Tres and I find ourselves wishing we had more time to devote to hanging out with this great people. But- it's more than just great friendship. These people teach me more about loving and living like Jesus on a daily basis than I ever expected, and I know I can count on any one of them for prayer, support and encouragement. Just this week a large group of them sacrificed their time and energy to help with the Christmas build at church, for which the responsibility has fallen largely on Tres, and it made the work fun and we accomplished so much. I think being surrounded by transparent, genuine married couples has given Tres and I more realistic expectations of what lies ahead, while also giving us plenty of people to ask for advice when we get frustrated with one another. MC has made Mondays one of my favorite days of the week.
2. A sister who has become one of my best friends. When Liz and I were little, we didn't really like each other. I was just young enough to always be annoying, so we didn't spend much time together. As she grew older and left for college, we got along better, but I was still grateful at the end of the summer that she would be leaving soon. When I made the move to Maryland over four years ago, I hoped that it would lead to a closer relationship with her, and it most certainly has. We've been through a lot in the last few years, and each time we get a difficult phone call, I find myself even more grateful for someone who understands me and where I came from to talk to and help sort out the issues. It's been so fun to watch her embrace motherhood the last three years, and I am always impressed by her work ethic and level of determination about anything she attempts, but most certainly her studies. Since my parents divorced when I was so young and my siblings are so much older, I never really felt that close to my family members, but now I can easily say that Sissy is one of the people who knows me best and whose support I appreciate most.
3. A job that is constantly challenging me and making me a better person. I've said before that one of my favorite things about my job is how it forces me to focus on the needs of other people. While sometimes that leaves me totally drained when I'm not at work, I love that no matter what is going on outside of work, when I step on to the unit I know I have other things to focus on and accomplish. This year has been especially difficult at work because we've had a serious changeover in staffing. That means I've had to say goodbye to some of my closest work friends, and we've been short-staffed for months now, which means working a lot more than I usually do, and often working harder when I'm here. Our patients have been sicker than normal too, so work has been stressful- but I still love it and love our patients. I love getting to see them get better and sometimes they even come to visit during their follow up appointments. Even though I've been doing this for almost four years, rarely does a shift go by where I don't learn something new or have to think outside the box in some way. I'm never bored.
4. That Maryland feels like home. Originally, it was a five-year plan. Come live with Liz and Billy, get a job, work for about five years and move somewhere else- probably back to Portland. Now that I'm four and a half years in, I can't imagine leaving anytime soon. Granted, I'm two years away from finishing my grad school program, so I know I'll be here at least that long, I don't even really wish I could leave earlier. While I still see myself leaving Maryland at some point, probably in the not too distant future- I love the community we've found here, and for right now, this is the perfect place to be.
5. A supportive boyfriend. I knew I'd love having Tres here for a lot of reasons, but I don't think I realized just how much I would come to need his support. We've been through a lot in the four years we've been friends, and the 3+ years we've been together, and honestly, I don't think I would've survived without him. Whether it's flying across the country to help make and my grandmother laugh or bringing me food and encouraging me through each grad school paper, his support is constant and strong and I am so very grateful for it. I know I don't say thank you enough. He's the best at calming me down and making me laugh, knows exactly what to say when I feel discouraged, and makes a pretty mean grilled cheese too.
Since I'll be working Thanksgiving, I guess you could count this as my piece in the "what are you thankful for" table share.
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