Thankful Tree Makes Its Debut in Haiti

Last year I made a Thankful Tree for our crew.  I'm not particularly crafty, so this was a stretch for me.

A girl from our sending church named Jessie painted some trees.
I loved her painting.

After seeing Jessie's work of art, I went to bed thinking about those trees.
Imagined myself painting them all over our bedroom walls (because in my imagination, I'm a great painter).
Imagined Aaron's eyes opening in the morning.
Wanted him to wake up in a forest of bubble leaf trees.
But I fell asleep.  I have four kids.  They make me tired.  They leave me only enough energy to dream.
So, we woke up in our regular, bubble-free, noncarbonated bedroom instead.

I asked Jessie if I could copy her quirky trees for our Thankful Tree.
She said yes.

I packed up the Thankful Tree this summer to bring to Haiti.  I totally forgot to hang it up because I forgot it's Fall.  The leaves are all still on the trees around our house. I'm still wearing tank tops.  We're still really tan.

When it's winter, maybe someone could remind me? 

At dinner time in November the goal is for the fam to write what we're thankful for on a leaf of our choice and stick it on our Thankful Tree.

I made our tree out of fabric (and hot glue) instead of paper because I wanted the tree to be reusable and because of Little Britches.

I figured he'd take one look at a paper thankful tree and be thankful that I made him a paper wonderland to destroy (and eat).

Thanksgiving.

Oh Jesus pour Thanksgiving into our souls. Remind us of your goodness. Let us see babies feet, hear a violin play, taste Butternut squash, smell homemade bread, touch our husband's face and be reminded

of your great

rich

wild

overflowing

above and beyond

out of control

love

for us.

Remind us that our worst days...our biggest no good, very bad days don't begin to compare to the suffering and pain going on around the world.

As I was hanging our Thankful Tree on our wall in Haiti, I had to first remove last year's leaves. It was sweet to read what each of us had written.  We were thankful for things like frogs, cheese, forgiveness, chicken-n-dumplings, friends, mornings we get to sleep in.  As I was ripping off the used leaves, I whispered to the Lord..."I'm sorry.  I had no idea last year that we should be thankful for unlimited access to clean, running water.  24 hour electricity.  For a country filled with healthy churches pastored by men who love God and humbly preach the truth of His Word.  For a government that builds libraries and roads and provides an education for its people.  That women and children are protected, not perfectly, but it's at least on our government's radar.  I'm sorry for not even thinking about how blessed we are to have three meals a day, a roof over our heads, and a way to provide for and protect our children.  God forgive me.  I didn't know.  I didn't know."


As I tore off last year's leaves, I could not stop thinking about the baby I held in the back of Beth's truck.  She almost died in my arms.  I thought about how unfair it was, how a year ago I'd never believe that a hospital would turn away a baby that was about to die simply because there were no beds, and the woman had no money.

And to think, there were days  in America and there are still days here in Haiti when I forget to be thankful.


Ripping off the old leaves, I vowed that the first leaf on the tree would say, "I'm thankful that God is gracious and slow to anger."

May we be thankful.  I pray that realizing how hard it is for most of the world, does not lead us to roll around in our own blessings.  Jesus said our response to suffering in the world should not be to simply think about how blessed we are.  That's tempting.  There was a time in my life (like a few months ago and sometimes right now) that I would read about devastating things and think, "Man.  I need to be more thankful."  That was my only response to suffering and injustice.  Jesus says, if we see needs, we should meet them.  If we have two tunics, we should give one away. Those with power, should advocate for those without it. Our thankfulness for the gospel should cause us to live it out in the lives of others. 

This November, I'm praying that our tree reflects hearts that are aware of the realities around the world, but that during this month of thankfulness, we are continuing to ask God how to respond...that our thankful hearts would move us to action.


1 Thessalonians 5:18
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.