Because my pen-pal is within the prison system in the USA, I won't give any details about him, but I will be using some of the thankful points I'd written to him, in my Thankful list today, as there really is a lot I'm thankful for in having got to know somebody who is living in a worse situation than my own.
I won't go into the reasons, or the moral issues, of his situation, as they are between him and God but, because of a strange quirk of fate, we were connected, and I've gained much insight, and felt much compassion, for everyone who might be in his situation - the phrase 'there, but for the grace of God, go I', always comes to mind when I read his letters.
So, here is my 5th week of Thankfuls:
1. I'm thankful for
my step-daughter, who has honoured me with the title of Grandma, even though
she has her own mother to fulfil that role.
2. I'm thankful for
the gift of being taught how to type - so many years ago now - as it enables me to
keep in contact with everyone I know, without going through all the pain I feel
when I try to write with pen and paper.
3. I'm also thankful
to the Open University, who provided me with the software that allows me to
talk to my laptop when my hands won’t do as they’re told!
4. I'm thankful for
the gift of patience – a lesson in life I needed to learn, in order that I
could then understand the problems that other people have in life.
5. I'm thankful for
the many gifts of friendship I've been given, as friendship is such a precious commodity in our day and age, and it’s
something that I treasure all the more as I get to know all of my friends
around the world.
6. I'm thankful
every day that I have the freedom to
be able to keep in contact
with my friends, wherever they are in the world.
7. I'm thankful that
I saw an article in one of my course books while I was studying, as it made me
aware of the desperate need of pen-pals within the prison system, and then led,
eventually, to me coming into contact with my new pen-pal.
8. I'm so thankful to God
that He gave me life, as this is a precious thing - even when things are so bad
that I don’t know how to go on.
9. I'm thankful for
God’s forgiving spirit, and that he loves us all so much that he was willing to
allow his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to sacrifice himself for our sins –
and that, through acts of genuine repentance, we are freely forgiven of those
sins.
10. I'm so very thankful for the gift of prayer,
so
that I can speak to Jehovah
God about
anything in life that bothers me - or that
makes me
glad – and to know that, no
matter what I ask of Him, He will listen
to me, and answer my prayers,
even
when those answers are ones I don't
expect - or if the answer isn't the one
I was waiting for!
So, these are this week's list of my thankfuls - and if you feel like joining in, please click on the following, and it will take you to one of the brilliant organisers of this hop, where you can then join in with this merry band of people, who find the Thankful in everything they do, or are:
6 comments:
what an excellent Post/List to start the second day of our Weekend bloghop.
There is so much to what your list not only says, but (in my own parlance) *references* which is to say reminds us of how inter-connected we all really are!
... I love how there is so much on your list that allows that, perhaps counter-intuitively, the more we give away, the more we have (in our lives).
thanks for the start today!*
*I am starting at the end of the list and working backwards today!
The fact that your step-daughter gave you the name "Grandma" really shows how she feels about you. (My kids call my stepmom...nothing, really. My siblings and I call her by her first name.)
Those dictation programs are very handy. My husband had to use one at work when he tore a ligament in his finger. I'm glad you were able to get one.
So glad you are enjoying the thankful lists. It is addictive, isn't it?
Having a pen pal who is incarcerated is very interesting. I'm sure you have learned a lot from each other. I would imagine a prisoner's family often disassociates themselves from him, and he could use someone to talk to.
Isn't fun to see how much we have to be thankful for?
Thought-provoking list!
Ive visited people in the prison system and found that what you have said about "there but for the grace of God..."is something I am mindful of every day...a moment of vulnerability can change your whole world.
Good evening (morning more than likely now), hopping over from the 10 Things of Thankful. I'm kind of the Black Sheep of the group. Last in line to make rounds saying hello, and sometimes not even completely fulfilling that task >.<
I have seen your owl now and again on the list. I love owls! Was intrigued it was the owl lady who had added me via google :)
Great list, but at first I was really afraid that the whole inmate penpal thing was more of a dubious intent. There is some odd phenomenon (at least here in the States) where people send letters to inmates they are infatuated with and profess their love to and all that jazz... I was like... uh oh.
Sounds like your situation is a whole million times healthier than that! Haha
It's awesome you are thankful and can learn quite a bit and make a connection with someone in prison. Not many would bother I'd imagine.
I'm not very religious, but I have a really good friend who is a JDub and my father once was one himself. I hope I'm not mistaken, but I thought I saw mention somewhere that you were a practicing Jehovah Witness. If not, I apologize for the confusion.
Hopefully you are able to continue linking up on the weekends to reflect on all the positives through the week!
Jak at The Cryton Chronicles & Dreams in the Shade of Ink
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