Day 29 A thankful heart

This is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118

Yes I will rejoice and yes I will be glad.
Today is Thanksgiving and I have so much to be thankful for. It seems so cliche to say my list out loud, family, friends and love.
I think of Norfreilia and her mother Johanna in Indonesia,  do they have a holiday similar? If so what are they giving thanks for. Afterall they do live in poverty, not like poverty here where we have access to foodbanks and shelters, but a different kind of poverty. A place where they live  in huts and catch wild chickens. What about Holga, she lives in Uguanda, she is 13 and dosen't go to school because her health is to poor, but oddly enough it's good enough to be the familys water carrier. How many miles each day dose she carry water? What would she be thankful for? The last photo I received of her she was smiling while sweeping the dirt with a bundel of sticks. Why was she smiling? When my girls sweep they use a swifter on a tiled floor and complain about how unfair they are being treated and how hard it is. I bet Holga would feel like a princess in our home of unfairness and hard work!!
It's so hard for me to comprehend the vast differences of our lives.
I am thankful I was born here in this time in this place, to me I feel like Iv'e won the lottery somehow. When I come home tired after a long day i never have to question if I'll have food to eat and plenty of it! Or clean water to drink, I just fill up a whole bath tub and emerge myself into it with a hot cup of coffee and a good book and maybe close my eyes and drift away. I never think twice of this amazing luxury that most of the world could never comprehend.
I wish I could trade with them for a day and compare notes or walk with them for a week and see. I want to see the joy they have when to us or to me it would appear they seem to have nothing, nothing to laugh about, nothing to be thankful for, nothing to really want to live for. And yet Holga is smiling a real genuine smile, her face is glowing and there is a peace that radiates from her heart and shines like the sun through her eyes.
I love these girls from two different parts of the world, we are all connected and chances are the three of us will never meet. It amazes me each time I open the mailbox and see a letter thats stamped with the words 'letter from sponsored child' accross the top.I run to the house my heart is racing with excitement to see what they have said. I feel them so close in my heart in that moment and Iv'e never met them, how can I love them so much. I guess I will never know.
Johanna, Norfeilas mom, we write as well and as I am living here in America praying for God to bless my children and keep them safe, bless my buisness and make more money, when I allready own a home and have a car and go out to eat and more clothes and shoes than I need, I read the last line of Johannas precious letter and it says" I always pray for the Lord God to bless you Mrs. Destiny Jackson" and My hands started to tremble and I couldn't stop the tears from flowing. Why? How? A woman in a hut in poverty praying for God to bless me? Seemed so backwards, I felt humbeled, I felt unworthy of such a prayer, I felt loved by this woman. Here we are I thought to myself two woman with  girls, with a home, with faith, with compassion. We are very much the same with our different languages, different economic status, different types of housing, but we are the same.
I am anxiuosly awaiting my next letter from Johanna, I told her of my upcoming wedding and asked about her own love story and how they met and what there custom of marriage is, I wish she could be at my wedding feast and celebration this siter of mine.
Not here, not in this lifetime but one day for the marriage supper of the lamb. We will feast and dance and celebrate all the goodness of the LORD together...
Revelations 19 6-9
⁶ Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
⁷ Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
⁸ Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.”
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)
⁹ Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
At  least in my mind I picture it to be a celebration like  a wedding, but beyond anything I could ever want or hope or dream of!!!
Johanna, Norfeila, Holga, it will be an honor and a pleasure to dance and celebrate with you all one day!! Thank you for praying for me and changing not just my life but my heart in so many ways! May the Lord bless you and keep you,his face shine upon you, goodness and mercy follow you all the days of your lives!!!!