30 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 2

Day 2: I am thankful for life and every single new breath I'm given. I was found 8 years ago laying on the pavement of Hwy 5 not breathing. I had died. Who called 911 & what pushed the paramedics, who tried multiple times to revive me, to try that last time? Who protected the helicopter care-flighting us? Who guided the hands of the doctors & nurses through every surgery & scare? Who am I to have been saved and given a second chance? Who am I Lord? You could have said, "No" and let me go, abandoning me as I had You but You said, "YES! I will save her & she will come back to me & I will use her for My glory. I will show her how much she is worth." 

I spent my adolescence longing and searching for acceptance, belonging, and for my peers to tell me I have value; that I am of worth. I spent all this time desperately searching for these needs in people and in the world, never truly finding them. All I found was false acceptance, false belonging, and conditional love from peers. When my wreck happened, I lost nearly everything and hit absolute rock bottom. I could hardly move or feel, became dependent on others, and was just in a tough place emotionally, socially, and physically. I literally had no where to look but up. Once I did though, once I finally did, once I finally released all my burdens and grips that I had held onto so tightly for so many years, God showed me that He was all I need and that He is all I've ever needed. He revealed to me the Truth, my value, my importance in this world, and who He created me to be. All that time I had been trying to fill my God-shaped hole with things that would never fit because it was Him all along and only Him that I needed. Not allowing Him in created my void. I just am so thankful for God and for life. He loved me so much that He breathed life back into me. Me! Oh my God, thank you for life!

We Must Strive Harder to Be and Live as Great Examples

I was reminded yesterday that there is always someone watching and observing the people we are and the lives we lead and that is why it is so important to lead an exemplary life - one you are proud of and one that encourages and inspires greatness. Our behaviors, attitudes, words, and interests reveal who we are - our strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, feelings, beliefs, goals, and priorities in life.

The people who are in our lives are in our lives for a reason. We have been purposely placed at the locations we live, work, and frequent for a reason and these reasons are much greater than ourselves. May we recognize this fact and live as so. These people and places are our spheres of influence and you hold the power of the way they are influenced.

A friend once told me that there are three things we can do for a person - make them feel the same, worse, or better. The fantastic thing about this is, in most cases, we already know the potential consequences (good and bad) that a spoken word, behavior, or reaction can bring and make someone feel. That is the hard part and it is already done! We have been given the ability to recognize good and evil and right and wrong. May we take control of this ability and utilize it!

One of my speaking points is we only have one life, one body, and one chance to make the best decision in every situation. There is no going back. We cannot undo what we say, a decision we have made, or an impression we have given and we live in a society that is unforgiving and remembers every time you fall; every time you fail to meet perfection.

Your children, spouse, parents, co-workers, friends, neighbors, and community are your sphere of influence. It is time for us to stand up, rid ourselves of the things that hinder and corrupt us, and strive without ceasing to be and live as great examples and as the men and women God has created us to be because there are too many who are lost, who do not know God's love, and who are looking for "something" to fill and satisfy their void. These people in your sphere of influence - their lives, future, and very being - desperately depend on you and need to see God in you. So show them greatness. Show them love. Show how God has changed you. 

What is the point in all of this?

- Live a life that inspires.

- Live a life that encourages.

- Live a life that brings out the best in others.

- Live a life where God's love, fruit, and Spirit shines bright, radiates, and completely captivates others.

- Be an example.

As you do this, watch how you are strengthened and changed. This reward is as sweet as honey.