Perhaps in that lies the blessing. When you make a choice, in the face of difficulty, and say, "This is not going to break me down! I choose joy and hold on to hope!" The strength of character that you gain is priceless. We have no guarantees in life. The only thing we can control is how we choose to respond to what life gives us. I find it more painful to go through a hard situation with, what I call, a "gloom and doom" perspective.
Even still, there are "those" days. Today is a mini one of those days for me and I'm struggling to see the blessing, and struggling to be thankful. My back and my right hip are killing me! My fibromyalgia, Crohn's, and allergies are flared. And, I have a broken finger. (Please forgive the whining!) I have been worse, but I want to be better. I hate my ailments and I hate being a burden on others. My friends all know I have "issues" and they are so wonderful and supportive. They ask me how I'm feeling and I want so badly to say that I'm feeling great, but I can't lie, and they can see it anyway. So I often say, "Body aside, I'm great!"
Those are my best days that I'm so thankful for! Even though my body is conspiring against me, my mind is in a good place. I tend to go through cycles, like a physical bipolar disorder. I have cycles of less pain and cycles of a lot of pain. The latter cycle often wears on me mentally and I start feeling down and overwhelmed. It's hard to see the good in those moments. I guess that's where I'm at today. Just so tired of hurting. Hating my body for holding be back from the life I want to live! What is the point and purpose of this?! It's important to recognize that cycle early and quickly make my choice. I have to choose to find something to be thankful for and not wallow in misery.
TODAY I CHOOSE TO BE THANKFUL FOR....
....my wonderful husband, family, and friends
...my health - I know it could be worse!
....my life
I really do have so much to be thankful for!
Ahhhh!!!! That feels better! Well, mentally I feel better! No physical leaps of joy or anything, but my spirit feels lighter. I think Pollyanna was onto something with her "Glad Game"!
It may sound corny, but I'm thankful to be a thankful, positive person! I used to struggle tremendously with depression and I'm so very thankful and humbled to be free from that! I can recognize when I'm slipping and the shear memory of my past keeps me from going back down that path. At least I pray I never do again. Knowing what I know now....choosing joy feels so much better. I know where I've been, what I've overcome, and I'm thankful to be where I'm at and who I am.
I was texting a good friend, who struggles with health issues as well, and said to me, "We are both so beautifully broken." At first, I wanted to growl and be bitter, but that's really not who I am, or who my friend is. Which is what I took away from the text. We don't have the easiest life, so many struggles, but we go through it with our heads held high and as best as we can. We are broken, but we are beautiful. We choose to not let our brokenness define us or....break us.
I don't mean to make it sound like my life is horrible, it most definitely is not! Everyone has their struggles. I wouldn't dream of saying that anyone's is better or worse, because we are all equipped in different ways to handle what we've been given. I have learned that my perspective of those things and how I choose to live with them, make all the difference in the world. And when one of "those" days hit me, I remind myself that it's only a moment and a better moment will come soon!
