Conventional wisdom would indicate that we are usually thankful when life is good- or- when things go our way- or when things work out in our favor. And while we may not be great at giving thanks to God on a regular basis during the good times, we each know that the regular rhythm of our life ought to be in thanksgiving to God.
However, and maybe to your surprise, the Scriptures go even further than simply giving thanks during the good times. They point us to a place where we give thanks in our pain, our heartache, our weakness, and in our loss.
This year I am thankful for my struggle, I am thankful for all the hard times I've endured and lived to tell about it. I'm Thankful for the strength & wisdom I've gained while making a way out of no way. I've been humbled this year to say the least and I'm thankful for the reality check I have received. Im Thankful for everything I've lost because it made me realize how much I can live without. I'm thankful for all the idiots I've met along the way because I can truly appreciate the sincere people in my life.
I'm can feel myself growing up as things that were once so important have so little meaning. People's thoughts and opinions affect me less. I'm learning to live for moments that take my breathe away and people that share those moments with me.
"I asked God to protect me from my enemies & I started losing friends"
I am thankful that in my times of need that the people in my life revealed the depth of their loyalty or lack there of!
I'm thankful for all the new people I've come in contact with that have reminded me how much worse things could be or simply shared just their struggle and trusted me with no ego. When people share their struggles in life as part of their journey towards healing, I am always impressed. Some share out of a deep place of healing, others share as part of a process of moving towards healing and still others share as a cathartic release of emotions and thoughts. When people share their stories out of a place of genuine humanity, it is holy. It is also a privilege to be let into their lives in some small way.
This week I have been inspired by a few folks who have reminded me of the courage to publicly share struggles, not only for their own healing, but for the healing of others. Their words are powerful.
Appreciating the person I am and the gifts that I have, something occurred to me. I don’t give full credit where credit is due. Yes, I give thanks for the pleasurable, comforting and rewarding experiences of my life. But I forget that I owe much of my thanks to something totally different—life’s struggles.
My inner strength was not developed through picking flowers and partying every day. Instead, I am the strong, resilient woman that I am because I’ve chosen to get back up repeatedly after being knocked down.
Each time I suffered a little, I gained a little more strength. When I suffered greatly, I gained even greater resistance to weakness and realized that I set my own limitations.
Integrity didn’t become one of my strongest character traits because I’ve only been exposed to honest, fair and noble people. I learned the importance of this characteristic by being hurt by those who lacked it.
I am the person who I am today, not because I had a perfect childhood or the most supportive friends, but because that wasn’t always so. I am the person who I am today, not because I’ve always trusted the right people and made the right decisions, but because I sometimes screwed up.
I am not resourceful because everything and everyone have always been there for me. Instead, I learned resourcefulness because of what was NOT there. Thanks to life’s struggles, thanks to the experience of lack, I learned to create or workaround what isn’t laid at my feet.
No matter who you are, there is something wonderful about you. You have something that is of great value to family, friends, strangers, and the Universe as a whole. So, here is the challenge: As you appreciate everything you have to be thankful for, don’t forget about your struggles. Life’s struggles need not be something that you loathe, regret and avoid. They have value. And that value trickles down to create the whole of you and me.
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” -Albert Einstein
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