Thanksgiving Thoughts

God is so, so good. I was supposed to work an 8-hour shift at work yesterday (Thanksgiving Day) since they don't celebrate Thanksgiving here (this doesn't mean people aren't thankful; they just don't set aside a day to focus on it). Some students from HTB were putting together a Thanksgiving dinner for the other American students and anyone else who wanted to come, but since I had to work until 9pm, I wasn't going to be able to go. In preparation for celebrating by myself at work, I went to the local Waitrose grocery on Wednesday night and acquired:
-a bit of deli-sliced turkey
-a potato
-a packet of turkey gravy mix

To this odd combination of Thanksgiving-esque ingredients, I also added homemade cranberry honey walnut scones. And off I went to work with a mini-Thanksgiving dinner in tow and a heart that ached slightly to be at home just for the day or even just to get a chance to properly mark the day's festivities in the company of people who understood its significance.

I got to work at 1pm, worked box office from 1:30-2:30pm, ushered for the matinee performance at 2:30pm, and eventually at 5pm, made my way upstairs to the office to start my office work for the day. As I sat down at main worktable, my English boss wished me a Happy Thanksgiving. I was quite happy. :) The rest of the staff, thus reminded, also wished me Happy Thanksgiving and then asked if I had any plans. I said that I knew some people having a dinner, but that I wasn't going to be able to go, so I'd sort of packed my own.

They simply weren't going to stand for this. Although they don't really understand why Thanksgiving means so much to us, they had apparently known enough Americans to know that it was really important. They insisted that I leave work early enough to make it to the dinner on time and decided that someone else would work my evening box office shift for me. They even gave me a box of baked goods (since one of my coworkers had brought in baked goods in honor of her birthday that day) to take to the dinner so that I wouldn't be going empty-handed! God is so good.

I spent a lovely evening filled with great food and the company of fellow American Christians, all being nostalgic for home and American football and family. Just for fun, one girl even made name tags with "Indian names" on them for everyone. So for the evening, I was "Ziracuny" which apparently meant "water monster."

Full of apple and pumpkin pie, mashed and sweet potatoes, stuffing, and turkey, and enjoying the pleasant effects of tryptophan (for those of you who don't know, that's what's in turkey that makes you feel so happy and sleepy after you eat a lot of it), I came home to my flat and skyped with my parents for an hour and a half, which was lovely. I enjoy got to see my dog on skype! :) What started out as a potentially kind of depressing and nostalgic day turned into a festive occasion! Praise God. I have so much to be thankful for.

I close this entry (since I have to go get ready for work today) with a short list of things for which I'm thankful this Thanksgiving:

1) a Savior who loved me enough to die and rise again to save me, and who never leaves me, no matter where I go--even halfway across the world

2) a family who loves me unconditionally

3) friends at home who haven't let thousands of miles affect the quality of our friendship

4) a loving church family here in London

5) the opportunity to study abroad--it has been and continues to be one of the best experiences of my entire life; it has changed me in so many ways

6) a place to practice singing--on Wednesday night I very nearly got banned from the practice rooms I had been using at Imperial College because the staff finally noticed that I was there and wasn't an Imperial student, but then when I explained why I was there and that I really didn't have anywhere else to go, the staff person took pity on me and said if I kept coming late in the evening when there wasn't a lot of competition for the practice rooms, he'd "turn a blind eye" so I could keep coming. Praise God! I was so scared during that conversation that I was about to lose my chance to practice for the rest of the semester. (He also paid me the compliment of guessing that I was a Royal College of Music student after his guess that I wasn't an Imperial student was confirmed.)

7) Skype/G-chat/Email/Facebook/Phone calls to the US for 4p a minute: Thousands of miles doesn't seem so far when you can talk to family and friends at the touch of a button! And being able to see them makes it even better!

To everyone at home, I love you and miss you. Happy Thanksgiving!