An American blog

So, this may be a pretty bad picture of me, but it still deserves to be posted. Here we are on a beach in Turkey celebrating America's Independence Day...It was a great day that needed to be celebrated. We're American, no matter where we live! We drove to the beach loudly listening to patriotic songs, with our windows safely rolled up. (smile). But we had a great day. Picture this. We pulled three picnic tables together, hung our 'Happy 4th of July' banner (courtesy of Mama Daniel--everybody who sends a package deserves a shout-out!) between umbrellas and proudly stood as after we prayed, we played some much deserved Lee Greenwood...'God Bless the U.S.A.'...well, we played it quietly anways. Our entire American family here in Turkey went to the beach. We actually closed the company for the day! Such luxuries only happen over here, we close for American and Turkish holidays!
I was thinking about a couple different things this week as I reflected back on my first Independence Day away from America. First, I am so thankful for what our friends and family who are a part of the military do. I live in a place where people are still drafted into the army. I'm not saying anything positive or negative about this, (this is not a political piece I'm writing), all I'm saying is it made me thankful for these people who willingly make sacrifices. Isn't it funny how moving half-way across the world will make you love, appreciate, and be thankful for so many things that were right in front of you for so long.
As i was thinking of what independence really means on this particular holiday, it made me think about independence in other areas...how here in this place I'm learning in my spiritual life, I don't really want to be independent at all. The more dependent I grow on the Father every day--physically, emotionally, and mentally--the happier, healthier, and safer I am in all these areas.
We are still a household of four, probably will be until July 20th or around then. Our Turkish friend starts her treatment next week. She is sweet, funny, and a hoot! She is such a joker. When my brain doesn't feel like it's going to melt from overheat and over-exhaustion, I can literally feel it growing at moments. You think I'm kidding...I'm not. Literally, from the minute I wake up until I go to sleep when I am at my house, we are either speaking or translating Turkish. But she's teaching me alot more than Turkish. She's also teaching and helping Him instill in me much more than being a servant, He is using her to teach me how to have a servant heart and to desire that. They are two very different things I think. And you can certainly be a servant without letting Him give you a heart for it, but if you do, I'm learning you'll miss out on half the blessing of letting Him rearrange your heart and give you joy in places and circumstances, maybe before you wouldn't have chosen to allow it to grow. And it'll grow into something beautiful. He's such a good God. He's provided for her in our home and He's providing for me in very different ways through her presence in my life.