Grateful Fast Sunday XXXXII

 

Smiling AQP - a great joy in my life.
 

I am just getting to my Grateful Fast Sunday post today, Tuesday.  We had all the ex-pat members of our congregation over for dessert on Sunday (about 40ish people) and so I spent the day at church or getting ready for our guests and did not get a chance to write.  This Grateful Fast Sunday post is even more significant for me this month than in the past since we decided to fast as a family in gratitude to our Heavenly Father for all the blessings he has given us lately.  We particularly felt that he had blessed us with health and strength.  He has also blessed us with a great school with good teachers and activities for AJP and BLP.  We were blessed to find a driver/gardener and a maid that make our life here much easier.  We were especially grateful that this past Friday our high speed internet was installed and working.  Aside from those many blessings, I am grateful for a few other things as well.  Out on my walk this morning I couldn’t help but feel gratitude for the following:

1.  Perspective.  I went the opposite way on my walk today.  As any security professional will tell you, a key safety tactic is to vary your times and routes.  I try and make it a practice on my daily walks around our neighborhood.  This morning I was surprised by how different things looked while heading in the opposite direction.  It made me think of Anton Ego’s quote from Ratatouille when he was asked what he wanted to eat.  He said, “A little perspective. That's it. I'd like some fresh, clear, well-seasoned perspective.”  Walking in the opposite direction today made me look at things differently.  I saw trees and flowers that I had not noticed before and missed things that had become familiar.  I realized that I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities (like moving to Kenya) that the Lord has given me to get some of that “well-seasoned” perspective.

2.  AQP.  I must admit that I have thought more than a few times these past months that our (particularly my) life would have been easier without her.  She complicated the move, my schooling and our general plan for these next few years.  The interesting part is that while it would have been easier, it would not have been nearly as joyful.  I am so grateful for the joy she has brought into all of our lives.  Her smiles and laughs make us all happy.  Her beautiful spirit cheers us when we are sad and has helped give us some of that perspective I spoke about earlier.  We are lucky to have her in our family.

3.  High speed internet.  I know I mentioned this earlier but I am very grateful for the high speed internet that was installed last week.  It was a long process (don’t ask!) that involved about four days but it is here and it is lightning fast.  OK – most of the readers out there would not deem it as even fast let alone lightning fast.  However, when one’s perspective changes so does their expectations.  I am now free to do at home many of the things that I had to go to the Embassy to do.  We were also able to chat online with JTP’s parents in Wales on Saturday.   I feel so grateful to have this in our home.