WHY I AM THANKFUL Most people, when asked why they are thankful in their lives, respond with many legitimate reasons that highlight persons and conditions which the good Lord has given them as a means of affirming His benevolent presence in their lives, the definitive proof of His love that far surpasses our understanding and expectations. I would like to list mine, and then surprise everyone at the end with something completely unusual: (1) I AM THANKFUL for my God, who despite my fallenness and sinfulness, still embraces me in utter zealous love and playfully nudges me to wake up and rejoice in all things ... usually through other people. You guys know who you are. (2) I AM THANKFUL for my beautiful parents Kate Markovich and my late dad, for the life and foundation they have given me to stand on my own, to appreciate all I have, especially my health and all the blessings that come with my family. Even in difficult times, I learned through them the lesson of never giving up --- and thank God I did --- for I am here today and enjoy your fellowship, as you enjoy mine. (3) I AM THANKFUL for my amazing wife Georgia Mussuris, for supporting me even in our most difficult circumstances, for showering me with her love, her strength, her wisdom, and her razor-sharp accurate assessments of situations and persons. Would that any man have such a God-sent spouse, whom many times I never fully appreciate. (4) I AM THANKFUL for my wonderful daughter Kat Muksuris, a brilliant young woman whose desire for excellence and feistiness is a testimony both to her dad and her beloved late pappou. I love you so much! (5) I AM THANKFUL for my older twin sister and best friend Mary Anazou, who shares with her brother an almost identical character and love for God, whose struggles and triumphs in Christ are strikingly similar to mine (yes, there are two of us running around, lol), but whose wings and tears have supported me countless times, sometimes very late at night (though she will say its been the other way around). She is Gods merciful answer to my lifelong prayer of always wanting a sibling. Who says the Lord never hears our prayers ... but on His time! I AM THANKFUL for my extended family and relatives, with whom I was raised from childhood. It is so gratifying to see them now married with children of their own. I AM THANKFUL for my friends and acquaintances (both personal and virtual) who have made me a better person, the volumes they have spoken either through their silence or few words. I AM THANKFUL for my Metropolitan and all the Metropolitans and Archbishops and Patriarchs under whom I was blessed to serve, my brother priests, and the remarkable people in every community I have been privileged to embrace and attempt to lead to the Kingdom of God. Many have been the recipients of my so-called wisdom and guidance, but the primary beneficiary has always been myself. I AM THANKFUL for my academic colleagues who have challenged me (sometimes not as much as I would have liked) and who have given me a community in which I may engage in scholarly pursuits and discussions. Outside of my immediate family, this group has become my adopted family where I have always enjoyed a respectful freedom and personal élan. I AM THANKFUL also for the manifold material blessings of a home, food on my table, clothing on my back, and the peace in my heart and mind, as well as my overall good health, which I rarely, to my detriment, appreciate as I should. FINALLY (AND HERE COMES THE SURPRISE), I AM MOST THANKFUL THAT I AM A SINNER AND AN IMPERFECT HUMAN BEING, that I struggle continuously, and that I have weaknesses in my spiritual life. Without such deficits, I would never aspire to better things, I would never appreciate the blessings God has given me, and I would never witness the beauty of transformation. I would never be able to associate with anyone else, I would never feel the pain of love and the magnanimity of forgiveness and compassion, and I certainly would never feel any purpose writing any of this. From the bottom, the glory of heaven appears magnificent. From the bottom, all of us can gaze up to heaven together and aspire to the sanctifying presence of the Lord God. So, I am the most blessed man I know, not because my life is perfect (for it clearly is not) but precisely because it is imperfect --- because in such circumstances, I get to see God as I always hoped I would --- as pure love and truth, working to perfect me. And I get to do it together with others, with all of you reading my words. And that is something really awesome to be thankful about. --- FrDr Stel
Posted on: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 02:14:11 +0000
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