I am gonna wear this sweater out!

1 Corinthians 13:12-13 (The Message)
"We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love."

That's how I feel right now, that I am trying to look at life through a fog. Everything seems so far away, and sometimes I wonder if I can wait that long.

But I don't want to be so focused on the future that I am not enjoying the moments that I have now. A quote from one of my new favorite books, Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist, says, "If life were a sweater, I'd wear it every day. I wouldn't save it or keep it for a special occasion. I would find every opportunity to wear that sweater and I'd wear it proudly, shamelessly, for days on end." That's what I want my view of life to be.

And I think a big part of that is being thankful for all of the little things in life, thankful for things that ARE happening right now. Like for relaxing weekends and spending time with friends, even if it is just sitting on the couch talking. I am thankful for finishing Greek homework before 10:00 p.m. and for flannel shirts -- PLAID in general, actually. I am thankful for people who encourage me through singleness and trying to figure out guys. I am thankful for Oreos and peanut butter, for hot tea, and for randomly finding $10 on the ground today so that I could buy dinner instead of eating in the Pomfreteria. I am thankful for the Fayetteville Public Library, a splendid place to read and do homework.

And I am thankful for God's compassion. That He wraps His arms around me and holds my hand whenever things get confusing. I might be trying to peer through fog, but He is right there beside me taking me through the mist.

P.S. And I am thankful for the fact that I am driving home tomorrow, a day earlier than planned, because I am skipping my Tuesday classes. But SHHHH don't tell my family! It's a surprise!