This year, I am thankful for family, friends, work, health and even my life. I am thankful for what God has done and is still doing in my life. The things He is doing for my family are really more than I could ask or imagine!
As I sit here reflecting on my life, I cannot help but remember when things weren't so great! When it was hard to be thankful. When no family called or asked me to join them at Thanksgiving. These were times when it looked like my life would never be good again.
I wonder if any of you can relate.
I remember how hard it was! I sat in self pity and cried about how alone I was. I thought about all the people that should be calling and weren't. I also thought about how unfair things were.
My focus was on the negative!
One year, I decided to work the holiday just so I didn't have to be alone. Once I did, I was amazed at what God started showing me. I'm a nurse and even though this wasn't a new field for me, I never really saw things for how they were. Those in the hospital over Thanksgiving didn't want to be there. Not all of my patients even had families to come visit them. My eyes were being opened to other people and my focus was being removed from just seeing myself. I started seeing lives. Other lives, not just my own. I stopped living in self pity and started focusing on how I could make that day better for someone else.
I think these moments changed my life. I still felt sad when more holidays came and family didn't call, but I no longer allowed those feelings to control me. I decided to move past that hurt and help others and I'm so thankful I did.
Today, I am thankful for my family, friends, work, health and even my life. But I am also thankful that God let me see holidays through a different lens. I am thankful that I went through those tough times in life, because it's part of what made me who I am today. God is so faithful and just because He didn't bring what I asked Him back then, but He did bring new things in a different way. These new things have blessed me more than I could ask or imagine. I am so thankful I trusted Him with the process.
What are you thankful for?