Thankful for the Hard Times

Before you make a mad dash to the turkey and football, remember to take some time and reflect on all the things that you are thankful for.  I read once that gratitude was the most powerful of all human emotions.  It impacts your perspectives and your actions.  In light of that, I’d like to challenge you to be thankful for the hard times, the painful situations, and the heartbreaks.

Lord knows that this year was full of those things for me, and I am so thankful for them.  Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t thankful at the time.  I was probably cursing at the time.  But, when I look in the mirror at the person that I am now and compare it to the person that I was a year ago, the positive difference that I see is a direct result of the challenging, often hurtful, experiences that I went through this year.

These things have matured me, increased my faith, and caused me to have a hope that I didn’t have before.  I am indeed stronger, more courageous, and full of joy.  When I ask myself and others, could I be this way without going through the trials of this year, the answer is an overwhelming ‘no.’ Because of that, I look the circumstances of this year with so much gratitude.  I am moving toward the person that I always wanted to be, and that progression doesn’t come easily.  It’s the gold perfecting progress, you have to be put in the fire and molded to perfection.

There is another reason that I exceptionally thankful for my painful situations.  And, it has to do with other people.  I’ve never been the one to “need” people.  To ask for help was probably one of the most difficult things for me to do.  There were times this year in my brokenness, all I could do was yell- “I need you.” When you open yourself up and expose a need, you may be surprised who shows up to answer your call.  Some of my closest friends had never seen me in pain before this year.  We became so much closer, as they were there to put me back together.  I even gained new friends.  As a think about my favorite people, I think about the pain that I went through this year, and how close we became as a result of it.

So, in addition to good health, an awesome family, and the best friends that a person could have, I am so incredibly thankful for the hard times.  They make my friends more great, and my family more awesome.  And they also make my good health a miracle, because I should be out right crazy.  Happy Thanksgiving.