My First Thanksgiving...

I didn't want to be here for Thanksgiving. I wanted to be at home. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I knew exactly what I was missing out on. I didn't want to celebrate Thanksgiving in Amsterdam with people who had never even heard of the holiday, let alone knew what you were supposed to do to celebrate it. But God changed my heart and blessed me with one of the best Thanksgivings I've ever had. Our house was full of epople (45-50 people) from all over the world. It was a gathering of old and new staff, managers, and friends. But really it was a family. You see here in Amsterdam so many of us are far away from our real families, but we are united to one other through Christ. For some it was their first thanksgiving ever. For others we got the joy of sharing our special holiday with our friends from Germany and Holland. After dinner we gathered together for a time of worship and prayers of thanks. One person talked about how Thanksgiving is a celebration of the harvest. As we sang I was struck by the words of one of the songs.

You said

You said, Äsk and you will receive

whatever you need."

You said, "Pray and I'll hear from heaven, and i'll heal your land."

You said, Your glory will fill the earth
like water the sea.
You said, Life up your eyes:
the harvest is here, the kingdom is near."

You said, Äsk and I'll give the nations to you."
Oh, Lord that's the cry of my heart.
Distant shores and the islands will see your light
as it rises on earth.

Oh Lord, I ask for the nations.


This song hit me because it is why I am here. Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for the harvest and all of us are here to take part of the harvest. We are the workers in ripe fields. All of a sudden as we sang this song it all just came together, all the things we have to be thankful for here. We have been blessed with the chance to be a part of these great things that God is doing here. Thanksgiving suddenly became so much deeper.