I have a Thanksgiving confession. I struggled with it for a while, but it occurred to me that perhaps some of you on the field are in a similar place. I refer to the fact that I am not at all sad because my children will not be with us to celebrate Thanksgiving. There, I said it.
Before you judge me for less than motherly feelings 
, hear me out. If they were going to be here, I would be looking forward to our time together. They’ve both been away for quite some time, so being without them has become our normal. In addition, this is how we grew up. You see, Tom and I were both in Air Force families, with the extended family spread across the country, so holidays weren’t normally a big family thing. Once we married, we were so far from Tom’s family that we only made that trip once. Though we were only hours from my parents, most of the time we still chose to celebrate with local friends.
Why am I concerned now? There’s this guilt thing pushing on me. When someone asks if “the boys” will be here for any of the holidays and I respond in the negative, there seems to be an automatic reaction of sadness for me, or irritation that they won’t make the effort. I end up feeling guilty for not feeling bad! It’s obvious from the reactions that I should. Ugh! The truth is I am really, really okay with this. It’s not just because we have a “family” gathering we’ve attended for more than a decade now. It’s because it really doesn’t bother me. I don’t know why, but I refuse to accept that guilt any longer. That is definitely not from the Lord!
I began to wonder if any you deal with the guilt of not feeling so bad about being without your natural families during holidays. You have made your home where the Lord sent you, and He has given you a different family there with whom you celebrate holidays. If your natural family is there as well, it is a blessing, but you are content either way. If I am over thinking for you, and you really do miss your families during the holidays, I am not trying to negate your feelings at all.
Maybe the whole lesson the Lord wants me to get from this is simply being content where He has me in the season and circumstances of life right now. I truly am content, and thankful. I’m thankful for my family, whether here or away. I’m thankful for the family He’s given me right where I live. I’m thankful for you wonderful women who answered the call to go somewhere foreign to you, but completely known to the Lord. And I’m so thankful that the Lord has allowed me to have a place in your lives, even if only through this blog. I pray that the words He gives me to write bring encouragement and perspective to continue living and giving your all to the precious people of that land.
I know Philippians 4:12 is specifically about money and material things, but it certainly fits my situation. It says, ” . . . I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation . . .”
Happy Thanksgiving!
