A Common Woman

Thanksgiving Prayer

 

This morning I ran to the store to buy my last-minute Thanksgiving groceries. Hopefully, my last grocery run.  I could feel a pity party coming on as I thought about being far from family for the holidays. So I decided to make of list of good things about celebrating Thanksgiving in Greece.

 

1. No crowds at the grocery store.  It’s just a normal shopping day here. 

 

2. I can find soft brown sugar, powdered sugar, sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese and turkey in Greece. Important ingredients for an American Thanksgiving meal. 

 

3. Internet shopping lets me participate in Black Friday sales from afar.

 

 4. I don’t have to watch football all day. (Sorry, DH!)

 

This list made me laugh at myself and feel better. But it also pinpointed a truth I have learned. Living overseas has taught me to focus on God’s blessings.

 

I am so thankful for the daily presence of God in my life. He has walked beside me through the mountaintops and valleys of life. He allowed his son, Jesus, to die in my place so that I could experience both abundant and eternal life. He sent the Holy Spirit to be my counselor and guide. Knowing and loving God is the greatest blessing of my life.

 

I am also thankful for my family. Family that has supported us as we have lived the last 18 years overseas. Family that loves us unconditionally.

 

I am thankful that my children know and love God. How I love seeing them walk in His steps. I pray that my grandchildren will follow their parents’ example.

 

I am thankful for my wonderful husband. He has stood beside me through thick and thin (more thick than thin), highs and lows, and tells me he loves my gray hair.  I’ve been blessed to celebrate thirty-seven Thanksgivings with my Darling Husband.  DH, this corny video is for you! Instead of Johnny Cash’s face, put mine in his place. And raise the voice up an octave. Or you can be Sully and I'll be Dr. Quinn.......

 

  

 

 (Yes, the secret is out. I am a country music fan. Johnny Cash is one of the best! Also, I have the entire series of Dr. Quinn.)

 

Ya’ll have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

A Curse or a Blessing?

 

This last week, Darling Husband and I made a cross-country trip, which began in Greece and continued through Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary and Bulgaria. The fall leaves were breathtaking – glowing yellows, burnished oranges, and blazing reds. Fall is my favorite season.

 

For me, long drives tend to lead to introspection. It is a time when I can sit back, free from the bombardment of technology and ponder the thoughts swirling through my mind and heart.

 

This time my thoughts centered on decisions. In our current world, we are encouraged to please ourselves and not worry about how our decisions affect others. Personal rights outrank the rights of others.

 

The Bible explains that each of us is responsible for our own decisions. We will pay the price for our personal sins and choices. Yet, our choices also impact the lives of others.

 

In the midst of this internal discussion, a song came up on my iPod. It was a song by Sara Groves called “Generations.”  This song spoke and ministered to my heart as I wept over recent choices.  Listen:

  

“Generations will reap what you sow.”  As a grandmother, this thought pierced my heart. I pray my grandchildren will live in peace.

 

Generations will reap what you sow. Will you pass on a curse or a blessing?

 

 

 

Shower Power

 

 I’ve learned many new lessons while living in Eastern Europe.  I discovered disco did not die; it just danced its way to Europe. Time is not measured by money, but by relationships. Black should be the basis of every wardrobe. Stop signs are optional. These are just a few of the nuggets I’ve gleaned along the way.

 

As an American living in Europe, I’ve tried to learn from my new host culture. But, I confess, I’ve found one area that America beats Europe hands down.

 

Americans know how to build a shower.

 

Most European baths have a hand-held shower attachment. It looks like this:

 

 

 

Quite often, a European bath/shower has no shower curtain. I’ve not figured out how to shower without drenching the entire bathroom. I’ve tried backing myself tightly into the corner of the bath and directing the spray into the same corner. But the water still manages to run around the rim of the tub and onto the floor, or ricochets off the wall onto the nearby toilet, sink, and towels. It took Darling Husband a long time to figure out why his towel was always damp. I used it to mop up the bathroom floor after my shower.  

 

Next I tried sitting on the floor of the bathtub and using the hand-held shower. While trying to lather up, I needed both hands so I attempted to grip the showerhead between my knees. A sudden surge in water pressure turned the showerhead into a whirling dervish that flew about the tub, beating me about the head and shoulders. Flopping around like a beached whale, I finally managed to suffocate the showerhead into submission. It was not a pretty picture.

 

Occasionally, there is a bracket where you can place the showerhead, leaving your hands free. The problem is the bracket is never in the correct place to achieve a satisfactory shower.  Sometimes the bracket is placed so the spray angles straight down, which cuts back on the amount of water falling on the bathroom floor, but requires one to straddle the faucet in order to get wet.  Then there is the bracket that is placed at waist level. It is good for de-linting your navel, but not much else.

 

Looking back, I realize there was a clue that should have alerted me to the inefficiency of the local showers. Every European bathroom has a drain in the center of the bathroom floor. In the beginning, I wondered about the purpose of this drain. After my first shower, I realized the drain was there to catch all the run-off from the shower. All you need is a squeegee and you can simultaneously shower and mop the bathroom floor.

 

So America, I salute you as the land of the clean and the brave. Long may your showers endure.