For the past two years, I have made it a bit of a tradition here on the blog to end the year with some of the things I have been grateful for over the past twelve months. And so, on this last Thursday before New Years, here is my 2022 list of what I am thankful for. Once again, the list is neither exhaustive nor in any particular order.

Family

This seems a cliché way to begin a list of things to be thankful for, but it is my list so I will begin it however I want! This year saw the addition of a new member to our household way back in what feels like the misty dawn of time, which in this case was March. Her name is Mary Josephine Joy Doerksen and It has been a blast having a baby around the house again, watching her get to know the world, her big sister as well as Shannon and I. And though she is already a force to be reckoned with in terms of the speed of her crawling (to so say nothing of the lungs on her), I have to say we are smitten.

The Healthcare System

I suppose this is heavily connected to the first item on the list. While I haven’t been keeping track, I feel like I have spent more time with the healthcare system this year than I have at any point in my life. Between cardiologist visits, Mary’s birth, getting a new GP that I don’t have to drive four hours to see, Shannon having her appendix out rather unexpectedly in the summer, and then Noelle finally seeing a specialist to receive her ASD diagnosis, it has felt at times that our lives revolve around buildings with big Hs on them. And while it would be easy to focus on the things that didn’t go as smoothly as they otherwise could, what I am thankful for are the dedicated nurses, doctors, healthcare aides and techs, specialists and other frontline healthcare workers that I have seen giving it their all during a very difficult time. Both cheers to you and I hope you get a whopper of a raise in 2023 for what you have been through.

Schools

Noelle began kindergarten this year. It has been quite an adjustment. It is not easy being a kid on the spectrum. The world was not made with them in mind. But what I have encountered from our local elementary school, is a team of people, who have been there day in and out to work with Noelle to help her succeed. When I was in school this was not how children with additional needs were dealt with. They were pushed away to their own class, their own area, separated from everyone entirely. I know this was done based on the best practices of what was known at the time, but when we began to learn that Noelle would have additional needs, the thought of her being separated from her friends caused a lot of fear and anxiety in me. It took all of one meeting with the staff at MES and that fear was gone. That is not how things are done anymore, they will do what it takes to keep her with her friends as that is what leads to the best chances of success. To the best of my knowledge, Noelle has loved every day of school so far. Had an absolute blast performing in the Christmas concert with the rest of her classmates even. I am thankful for our schools and everyone, admin, teachers, aides, healthcare workers, and everyone that works in them. See that raise comment from before.

MacGregor EMC

I think it is fine to say this plainly. I doubt it will come as a shock to anyone. 2022 has been a tough year for our family. Between Mary joining the family and the adjustments that go along with that, the emergency surgery and other heart-related health concerns, the ASD diagnosis, being sick with colds, Covid and cases of the flu for what seems like four solid months now (see Noelle starting kindergarten), not having a solid nights sleep since March, family health concerns, and what feels like a hundred other things, 2022 has at times been a bit much. But whenever circumstances got a bit hard to take, we found little things would happen. Someone would show up with a meal unannounced. The van would be mysteriously shovelled out of a snowbank. Friends would take Noelle for several days so we could go have a baby or an appendix out (Guenther’s you are wonderful). When Noelle’s diagnosis finally arrived, pretty much all the congregation came to ask how they can help care for her better. These are acts of love that make you feel appreciated. Make you feel at home. Make you feel that God is at work in the congregation clearly. This was my fifth year as pastor at MEMC, and while it has been a tough year, as a pastor I have never been so thankful or proud.

Community Organizations

Here I have a twofer for you, and with it, I will draw my list to a close. As you may know, this year saw me rather involved with the MacGregor Chamber of Commerce. One of the highlights for me was helping to plan a family fun day in the Fall to bring in people to get to know our community as well as shop at the open businesses, which by all accounts was quite a success. While there were a lot of great things to say about the day and the other wonderful people involved in making that idea a reality, the absolute highlight for me happened that night. Noelle and I had gone to see the fireworks, but unfortunately, we left a little late and so the began when we were on our way to the grounds where they were being set off. Thankfully, I like to pretend I am still 29 from time to time, so she jumped on my shoulders and off we ran. We got there about a quarter of the way into the show, so there were still plenty of fireworks left, and I tell you Noelle had the time of her life. So much so that when they were done, on the way home she told me, “that was fun.” This may not seem like much to read it, but I had ever heard her say that before. I am thankful for the work of the MacGregor Chamber in our community, as well as for all those who volunteer on it.

I am also thankful for another organization I am involved with. The North Norfolk Childcare Centre (NNCC), a board working to bring a daycare to our municipality. This is a huge need as there is a real shortage of child care spaces in our area. I am not joking when I say that there are a number of people in our community who drive fifty minutes twice a day to drop off their kids at the nearest daycare they could get a spot in. We are taught a number of times throughout scripture that we are to care for our neighbours, work to make life more worth living, work to show the world around us that they are loved by us and God. While that is not the stated aim of the NNCC (it’s just a regular not-for-profit community organization), this is what I believe I have done on this board all the same. But from my time on the NNCC this year, the moment that sticks out to me the clearest is this. At the October meeting, about a quarter into the agenda, our board chair spoke up. The Lion’s Club had offered to give us their community centre for transfer and legal costs only so that we could finally build the daycare we have been working toward for years. I think I will remember that act of generosity all my life. So thank you to the Lions Club for that and also thank you to all the people that volunteer their time on the NNCC board. I look forward to how we will build up our community over the year to come.

But that is my non-exhaustive list of things I have been thankful for in 2022, again in no particular order. So now I leave you with this question: This year, what are you thankful for?