Thank You! A Thanksgiving List

I am giving thanks for the following:

1) A closet full of good shoes. When I was a teenager, volunteering at the hospital, I had to have a pair of brown loafers. I bought a cheap pair of fake leather shoes at Payless because that was all I could afford. I will never forget the day my handsome cousin held one of those shoes in his hands and made a disparaging remark about it. He was kidding me, sort of, but I was mortified and I never bought another pair of cheap fake leather shoes again.

2) My 1972 house with its sparkly ceilings and brown door. Sure, I get jealous when I visit custom-made homes with bamboo floors and black marble kitchen counters, but this house is perfect for us. We bought it without even seeing it. At the time, we had three boys--this house has three bedrooms, plus a converted garage. The converted garage (which is like a rec room) is big enough that my mom lived with us for almost two years . . . and now that we had another child, my twins have that room. We had no idea we'd have four children (being infertile and all--ha ha ha ha) but our house is just the right size for all of us. ((Yes, I was unfaithful, but that only happened once and you would have been, too, don't deny it.)

3) My husband. The first time I saw him, he was sweating in the South Carolina heat and spitting and who knew that my Prince Charming would come from Texas, but he did. He thinks I'm hilarious, he overlooks my neurosis, he encourages me to pursue my individual dreams and interests. He's the most fabulous father and as far as I can remember, he's never slammed a door. He thinks we're very different from each other, but that's just because he's a boy and I'm a girl--just beyond those differences, we share common bonds, values, backgrounds and goals.

4) Kids I never thought I'd have. Back in the Dark Days of 1989, infertility loomed over us like a storm cloud. The doctors said it was unlikely we'd ever have kids and all I wanted was to be a mother. And now, all these years later, I have a house full of children. Today, my boys peeled potatoes, one of my twins made the much-maligned green bean casserole, and my daughter helped make pies. If my heart had pants, I'd have to unbutton them because I am just that full.

5) My faith. Philip Yancey says faith is believing in advance what makes sense only in reverse. I'm beginning to see what that means. As the map of my life unfolds, my journey makes more sense. I can see where I've been and I have a better idea of the direction I'm headed. I am thankful to the Creator and for glimpses of heaven here on earth.

My thankful list could go on and on, but I was on my feet most of the day and I'm eager to crawl into bed. Dinner was delicious. My habitually late guests were actually on time. The children were cooperative and well-behaved today. For all this, I give thanks.