Thankful

What am I thankful for? Let’s plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.

Thanksgiving is really not my favorite holiday. When you’re someone on the spectrum who doesn’t care for social gatherings involving food and get anxiety around food you don’t like, it happens. I tell people today that my favorite Thanksgiving ever was growing up and I had the flu and I had to stay home. Ocarina of Time had just come out and I spent all evening trying to figure out the Forest Temple.

Yet just because I don’t care for the festivities, that doesn’t mean I can’t be thankful today. Here is my list of things in my life I am thankful for.

First, I’m thankful for being saved by grace by Jesus Christ. Growing up, the church was always part of my life, but I had no idea how much of a role it would play. Now I am in ministry and it’s something I really do enjoy doing. Being in this position has brought me to so many different cities I have called home.

I’m thankful for my parents who raised me a Christian and who have never stopped believing in me. Being on the spectrum, my mother was told all the things that I would never do because of that. Fortunately for me and unfortunately for them, I have done all of them and more. I sometimes wish she could find some of them again and when they ask how I am say “Oh. He’s just living in New Orleans about 600 miles away on his own with a job and a car and working on his Master’s in philosophy.” Also, my family includes my sister who is one of my biggest fans.

I am thankful to be in this city and to be attending New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. I have grown to be recognized around this place and so many people now know they need to tell me that they affirm the virgin birth, which I do affirm. I seriously don’t think there’s anyone who does more in the area of humor than I do on campus. I’m not trying to brag. That’s just the way I see it. My therapist here said he thinks humor is my form of small talk and if it is, then I do it well as I’m always trying to make people laugh.

I am thankful I have a good job. I have worked at the post office on campus ever since I came here. I have learned a lot about the mail and I get along well with my boss. I get to meet all the students that come in here and I get plenty of time for my own reading when things are slow.

I am thankful for the relationships I have here. Just yesterday, I went with a fellow student to a local park and we spent hours there playing Pokemon Go. It was really a joyous experience and being out in a community with others with the same interest, it helps me forget at times about being divorced.

I am also thankful that I have survived the divorce and am surviving it every day. I made it a personal vow that I was playing to win and I would not let her win the day over me by her actions. Of course, it still hurts every day, but I am working every day to overcome the pain and hope to find love again one day.

Right now, our country isn’t doing well, but I am still thankful to be an American. I can for the time being worship freely and read my Bible freely. Some of us may not have a lot in our minds financially, but drop us off in a number of countries in the world and we would be some of the most wealthy people of all. I still think this is the best nation on Earth.

I am thankful for my friends. So many people have come alongside me and joined me in the journey. Some I know in person or have met in person. Some I have never met, but I still consider them friends.

I am also thankful for so many of you who have decided to become donors through Patreon. If you aren’t already, please do sign up. Even if you just give $1-$5 a month, that is still something and it means a lot to me.

I am thankful for all that I have to keep me busy here as well. I have plenty of books for my reading, plenty of games I can enjoy, and a whole lot in streaming services I can watch. I can always have something to do throughout the day.

Do I have a lot of work to do? Yes. Do I have a lot of challenges? Yes. Are there still aspects of life that I am sorrowful about? Yes.

Yet in the face of this, I am still thankful for the blessings I have.

Now go and make your own list.

Happy Thanksgiving!

In Christ,
Nick Peters
(And I affirm the virgin birth)