Hello there all you WONDERFUL readers!! I pray you are having a FAB-TABULOUS day and that you’re keeping warm wherever this day may find you! I am currently in Tirana, Albania and it is most definitely my coldest month of The Race so far, but that’s okay because it has allowed me the opportunity to wear sweaters and fuzzy socks!!! Today officially marked the Halfway Point for my time on The World Race… yep you read that correctly I am HALFWAY finished with The Race. It’s so crazy to think about, but I’m oh so very thankful to still have halfway to go!! This month, month 6, has been a time of transition, growth, and true thankfulness. You may not know this but my 25th birthday is this upcoming Thursday, March 21. With 25 on the horizon, I have had the honor and privilege of reflecting back on these past 24 years, and this past year in particular, and God laid 24 things on my heart that I am BEYOND thankful for! So here goes nothing and my “24 before 25…”
I am THANKFUL…
1. to serve a beautifully gracious God who LOVES and pursues me incessantly.
2. for my parents who love me with no strings attached, and 2 INCREDIBLE sisters who bring sunshine on the dreariest of days.
3. to be in Tirana, Albania and to have the AMAZING opportunities that have been made possible to me while on The Race.
4. for WARM sweaters that were picked up during a layover in Malaysia.
5. for food, yep you read that correctly, I’m THANKFUL for FOOD and the energy it provides me to be able to carry out the will God has for me each and everyday.
6. for Adventures in Missions, for a mission-minded organization that has helped me to embrace and live out the mindset “life is ministry, and ministry is life!”
7. for the fact that “the church” is not a building, but rather an active BODY of believers.
8. for good books, engaging podcasts, hot cups of coffee, and fuzzy socks.
9. for sunflowers and the JOY that they bring me.
10. for constant laughter that my team brings into my life each and everyday.
11. for the outpouring of love and support I’m shown from back home that helps to remind me “you haven’t been forgotten.”
12. for music and the ability to “make a joyful noise” around the world through singing, playing my ukulele, and the occasional keyboard and set of drums here and there.
13. for accessibility to clean drinking water.
14. that I FINALLY stopped biting my nails!!!
15. for the Spiritual gifts that the Lord saw fit to bless me with, and the fact that ALL Spiritual gifts are made available to me, I need only to ask.
16. for the opportunity to travel this great, big, BEAUTIFUL world and how much it has truly opened my eyes.
17. that I am a SEVEN on the Enneagram and how it has helped me to better understand myself and those around me.
18. that I no longer find shame in the things from my past, but rather embrace them as part of my story and how those elements that I once saw as weaknesses are able to magnify God’s strength.
19. for cheap gelato!!!
20. for creativity, and feeling inspired and supported by those around me as I make my dreams come to life.
21. for $5 shoes that I bought on the side of the street out of a man’s backpack.
22. for FaceTime and the ability that it allows me to connect with people from back home.
23. for the book “The Art of Listening Prayer” and how much it has helped me to connect with and tune into the voice of God.
24. for the COUNTLESS blessings that God has sent my way over these past 24 years and the many, many more that are sure to come in time!!
So there you have it my friends, 24 things that this 24-year-old is so very thankful for! Thank you for taking the time to read and be sure to leave a comment below with something YOU are currently thankful for in your life! Sending you all my love direct from Albania straight to you!
-Meagan
