Overflowing with Gratitude

I recently arrived back on American soil on 12/2/19, exactly a year to the date of when I returned home from the World Race last year. So much has changed in one year and yet so much is the same. I am currently in the process of Re-entry (double portion re-entry as I like to refer to it as I’ve basically been gone 2 years) and transitioning back into American culture and lifestyle. I plan to sink my feet into the ground here in America for the next season so I’m excited to be back in the South in the land of sweet tea, turnip greens, wide open spaces, sunshine, and southern drawls. Oh, yeah, and Chick-fil-A. Funny enough I haven’t even eaten there yet 🙂  

So, as I adjust to this American life, I wanted to take a moment to list off things I’m grateful for in America but also in my life over the past year.  We’ll just WRAP up Thanksgiving and Christmas in this post as my heart is exploding with thankfulness for this wild ride of a journey the past year and all the Lord has done in me and through me.  Y’all: HE IS SO DARN GOOD. 

Things I’m grateful for, in no particular order: 

1. Being able to flush toilet paper and feminine products

2. Learning and seeing for myself how powerful prayer is and that the Lord chooses to partner with us and waits on us to pray things out into reality. What?!

3. Carpet. Just sinking my feet into it and being caressed by it. Life-changing.

4. How the Lord wrecked me and my faith and re-established it on a solid foundation that is unshakable.

5. The endless OPTIONS in America. Catch me still deciding on what foods to get in the typical American grocery store 3 hours after I’ve arrived. And yo girl doesn’t even like shopping but I mean, COME ON: Gluten free Chickpea chips??!! What??!! Mindblown. 

6. Battling lies and spiritual warfare early on in the year so that I could learn how to fight and pick up my sword and arming myself with truth from the Lord so that now I flick those lies off of me without hesitation

7. Warm showers where it doesn’t switch to cold halfway through or give you a 2nd degree burn

8. A tribe that loved me, fought for me, saw me, and empowered me to be my best self and seek first the Kingdom

9. FREEDOM in the form of my car. Leave whenever I want and take as much stuff as I choose. And protection from the elements. And heated seats and sunroofs <3

10. Deeply rooted identity in Christ and solidifying my unique purpose and giftings in the Kingdom 

11. Beautiful friends and family in America who love me and are invested in me to return home to after essentially abandoning them for 2 years. 

12. A stable career in medicine to jump back into that provides financial security

13. Being confident in who I am: Joy, Light, Exhorter, Healing Hug, Bold, Free Spirit, Steadfast, Grounded, Wild, Unapologetic, Servant-hearted, Wise, Full of Life, Advocate, and Chaser of the one. 

14. The freakin amazing GIFT of the Holy Spirit and how He is the same everywhere. Especially getting to see the Holy Spirit move in America just like in Spain fills me with hope and expectation of what God is doing here and how unified the Body of Christ really is. 

15. How simple it all is, truly. God is so much BETTER than I ever thought possible. And He loves me so much MORE than I could ever imagine. He is Love. He is in me. I am Love. Love is the Point. 

16. The peaceful stillness of sleeping in a bedroom on a quality bed by myself.  Although it is kinda lonely and I do miss my roomies – you know who you are 🙂 

17. How much the Lord is blowing my mind with how connected the Kingdom network truly is and how He’s linking me up with amazing godly women left and right, faster than I can say “Thank you.” HE IS SO GOOD TO ME. 

18. That I finally understand how a day can be like a thousand years. So much has happened in the last 2 months that oftentimes the previous week feels like 5 years ago. That’s how much revelation and healing the Lord has bestowed upon me. What a Good Good Father He is! 

19. How the Lord meets us in the PRESENT: in the gray area where it’s confusing and overwhelming and scary. This is where deeper depths of intimacy with Him are created as we trust Him and choose to hope and maintain faith when it doesn’t make sense or seem fair. Meeting Him in the secret place is available to us every minute of every day if we just choose it. All we have is NOW, the PRESENT: not yesterday or tomorrow. Savor it. Be Present. Don’t miss it. 

Love y’all so much!  Thank you for faithfully reading my blogs and journeying with me through this wild gift of a year!  Thank you Jesus for 2019 and we are expectant for what you’re gonna do in 2020!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love,

Raina

**19 items are listed as the Lord reminds me of His love for me through this number 🙂