A Lot to be Thankful For

Despite my return culture shock, I had a delightful Thanksgiving. Eighteen of us gathered at my sister-in-law's house and we enjoyed scrumptious food, thoughtful conversation and laughed ourselves silly during telephone pictionary (if you've never played this game with creative, warped minds...well you must at least once in your lifetime! Just google telephone pictionary to get the rules:) I had an opportunity to talk about Africa and share some stories and that always helps me to keep the experience alive for me. Sometimes, I almost wonder if I dreamed the whole experience...it's that wierd to come back into my family and be the only one who's had my life view radically altered. I really do feel like a square peg in a round hole. Any suggestions on how to do this gracefully and graciously?

Today I had a thought about reconciliation that I learned from Philbert (the man who heads up REACH which stands for Reconciliation, Evangelism And Christian Healing). He told us that when they talk with the victims of genocide he uses the analogy of being bitten by a snake. He tells the survivors that they have a poison inside them that is only hurting them. They need to get the poison out so that they can heal and be whole again. Reconciliation is getting the poison out. That reminded me of a 12 step saying: "resentment is the poison you drink, hoping someone else will die." We all have hurts from the past.... all of us. Unless we actively work on reconciliation and forgiveness we let the poison rule our lives. If the victims of genocide can do it (and they do) certainly I can find a way to work out the poison that is circulating in my marriage; with former colleagues; with anyone I've hurt or been hurt by. I pray the same for you - get the poison out. Go to God, admit you're powerless to do it on your own, and then let Him show you how. Here's to a reconciled tomorrow that begins with a surrendered today.