Thanksgiving in the "sacrifices"

The month of November always gets the thankfulness juices flowing. It seems in the spirit of the holiday season a lot of people use these days to say thanks for things they wouldn't otherwise say. Even on Facebook people even post something to be thankful for everyday until Thanksgiving. Being in another country, which for obvious reasons doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving, it has been a different take on this holiday season for me. I mean it is already November 7 and I feel like just yesterday it was October 1. But I have talked to a few people here about Thanksgiving and why we celebrate it. Honestly, they seemed to know more about it than I did. It started as a holiday where we would thank God for the things we have in our lives. It was a day to set aside differences and come together in love and give thanks. But something I've thought about these past few years and I think even more now, is why do we wait for this holiday to say thank you? Why do we all of a sudden "make time" to say thanks when it should happen everyday? I knew coming here wasn't going to be a walk in the park. I knew and anticipated there would be difficult moments. I don't think I realized to what degree I would have to give things up. I don't think I realized the depth of the things I would be missing to follow Jesus. I read these verses a few weeks ago, Luke 14:25-33 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. These verses got me thinking about my trip to Peru in 2009 when I heard "Lead Me to the Cross" for the first time. There is a lyric that says, "everything I once held dear, I count it all as loss." I knew that summer God was calling me to missions. I felt in my heart but didn't really understand. But I did understand I was going to have to "count the cost". This was the cost. To full heartedly follow Jesus, to be a discple and tell others about Him, I had to be willing to take everything I held dear and lay it at His feet and trust Him. So what was the cost? Chiara, Ethan, Isaac, and Jonny. When I made the decision to trust God and let Him lead me, I felt in my heart, they were what I had to give up. I love being an Auntie. I love being THEIR Auntie! I can't imagine my life without their smiles, their laughs, their hugs, and their kisses. I love the moments I get to cuddle with one of them on the couch or when I get to get beat up by the boys because they love wrestling. I love that Chiara wants to be like me. I love that Ethan still gives me kisses on the phone even though he's almost 8. I love that Isaac tries anything to make me laugh. I love that when Jonny is upset, he comes to me and just wants my sympathy. But I've understood something really valuable. If I would have stayed in America and disobeyed what I felt God was calling me to do, I wouldn't have had peace in my heart. I couldn't love them to my heart's fullest potential. I couldn't be the best example and role model for them by staying. I understand that even though I will not get to hug them or kiss them for at least 2 years, I am impacting their life more than I ever could before. Why do you ask? Because I believe this. When Jesus came into my life and I truly decided to live the rest of my life for Him, my life has radically changed. I have hope. I have purpose. I have peace. I have love. I have grace. The way I live my life now, only by the grace and strength of God, I realize that if my actions and words do not point others to Christ, there is no purpose. And when I truly live this way, it will cause a ripple effect. I have faith, that the choices I make now will affect the future for the better. If God tells me to go to Latvia and I stay in America, think of how many lives would be affected. Not only the lives here in Latvia or my own life, but every other person I would come in contact with. Yes, some of these would probably be glorifying to God still, but I would know I was being disobedient. Nobody else may ever know it, but I would feel it in my heart. Now, suppose I go to Latvia, which obviously I have, think of the lives that are affected now. God's grace and love is extended beyond my thoughts. This story becomes WAAAYYYY bigger than me. Not only that, but I imagine one day, when Chiara, Ethan, Isaac, and Jonny get old enough to understand, I can tell them why I gave up everything to follow what I believe in. I pray that leaves a bigger impact on their life than any amount of face to face moments we could have. So, when I left, did I realize just how deep the sacrifices would go? No, probably not. But I am starting to understand just how deep the influence goes and how much greater the reward is. What is the reward in giving up everything to follow Jesus. The reward for not getting to hug or kiss my niece and nephews for 2 years? Falling more and more in love with my Daddy, my Savior, my King. :) All that to say, tonight/this morning, I am thankful for 2 things. I thank God for allowing me to be called Auntie by 4 very special kids. And I am thankful that God called me to "sacrifice" the very things I held dear to fall more in love with Him! When you look at it that way, it is not really much of a sacrifice is it?