Friday Five (Thanksgiving Day edition): Unexpected Blessings

This is a leftover from last week's RevGalBlogPals Friday Five. We were challenged to name five unexpected things we are thankful for.  In chronological order:

Each of my children:  Of course, it is expected that I am grateful for each of my three now adult children.  Each one's actual entry into my life was unexpected in a special way that I cherish.

Becoming a pastor:  I was the kid in Sunday School that everyone dreaded having in their class.  And, yes, kids overhear teachers saying these things!  My crime was that I had questions that the teachers were not very good at answering to my satisfaction.  My little secret was that, while all the other kids were bored with Sunday School and especially the worship service, I was both fascinated and strangely captivated by the whole thing.  I went to seminary because I had always wanted a graduate degree, and I thought it would be like going to Sunday School full time!  If they could see me now. . . !

Amazing journeys:  I've gotten to travel to a lot of different places, mostly in the U.S., with some travel to Latin America.  The journey of my life has been more wonderful and life-giving than I could have ordered off of the best menu of choices.  The people in my life -- family, friends, parishioners -- have been unexpected blessings over and over again.  Even the rough, rough roads have been unexpectedly blessed.

Church life:  I never expected that I would want to be a pastor, much less be able to, much less derive joy from it.  I get so frustrated sometimes that I feel like I'm stuck in the temple, Jesus-style, whip in hand, either whacking the money changers over the head or wanting to so badly that I'm screaming, mostly on the inside.  Alternately, I'm crying over Jerusalem and feeling so totally impotent that it hurts.  Church life is hard for me because I really do believe Jesus Christ is good news for the world and for the church!  I have gotten to see glimpses of miracles, quickly vaporizing usually, but -- still -- I have been privvy to many unexpected blessings!  

Daniel:  I truly am a person who would have lived a full and complete life, and been totally happy with my own children, if grandchildren had never happened for me. Daniel's advent was totally out of my control, so his presence in this world is, for me, indeed an unexpected miracle.