Just a thought

I slept last night!!! 

I can't tell you how wonderful it feels to have slept.

I slept some the night before but not as well as last night. 

I feel decent.  My head is clear. 

It's amazing how different it feels to have had sleep.

Good morning.  Actually, it's almost noon.

I have my coffee and miss Maggie on my lap.

All is good.

It's a beautiful Sunday.  Still no cool weather, but beautiful.

We don't have church today, so it's a day with a clear slate. 

The house is peaceful.  My children are safe and happy.

My husband and I have a day to rest and enjoy time together.

And... that is how I will start thinking of my day.

When I think of how many days in my past were started with a feeling of dread due to depression.

Depression that came from feeling less than and not good enough.......

I was watching something last night about how the things in our life are meant to create our strengths.

It's an interesting way of thinking of it.  Instead of blaming people for hurting you, you are grateful for the fact that it has made you strong and capable of things that you would not have been able to do, had that not happened. 

I can see many areas of my life where something happened that caused me to learn.  Had our home not flooded, I would not have had the knowledge to restore this home.  In fact...I would not have attempted it.

Had I not gone through things in my past with manipulation, I would not have learned to raise my children to think for themselves.  If I had not been raised witnessing abuse, I would not have married the kind hearted man that I married. 

I can think of friendships that brought me to my faith.  When I was 5 I used to crawl through the bushes of our back yard to Miss Betty's house and she was the first person who talked about God.

If I had not had a friend named Amberly as my best friend for 7 years, I would not have had the stepping stones to my faith during those years.  If I had not sung in the church choir with my friends and a wonderful choir director, I would not now be serving in a worship team at my current church.

I have friendships that saved me through many tough years. 

My little cousin Stacy was my very first best friend.  When I was 7 I met my dearest friend ever, Gina, and that friendship saved me from years of what would have been a very lonely childhood.  I learned love and normalcy with that friendship.

I dearly love my parents.  They were strong and taught me so many great thing in life.  They were flawed and taught me many paths that I did not want to take.  There are many things in that that my children will forever benefit from. 

There are so many people in my life that I have been so close to who have gone through things that have opened my eyes to what can happen.  Lessons that have kept me from harm.

I am grateful that, at the moment, I can find peace and joy in my days.  Not because my life is perfect, but because it is imperfect and uniquely mine.

God is good. 

In this world things happen that devastate.  I'm starting to think that there is a natural balance that God will not interrupt because the world needs to learn.  Horrible things happen to teach us that they can happen.

He allows the heartbreak to teach us strength. 

I think it breaks his heart as much as ours.

What do you have now, that is a blessing, because something bad happened?

What good quality do you have now, because you endured something difficult?

Just a thought.

I pray everyone who reads this has a blessed, peaceful day full of joy.

Hugs

Shannon