Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. First of all, I love food-- especially pie! I also love taking a much needed break from school and enjoying the time with my family. And I love the atmosphere. Sometimes, complaining seems to come so naturally to us, but giving thanks makes us so much happier! And I have a LOT to be thankful for!

Two years ago I had no appetite for a Thanksgiving meal. I had just come home from the hospital two days earlier from having my spinal fusion. Many people would think that's an awful way to spend one of your favorite days of the year. But without my surgery, who knows what kind of pain and deformity my body would have faced in the future? And without my scoliosis, I wouldn't have been able to meet and help so many people, and I wouldn't appreciate the things I take for granted all the time. I wouldn't be as thankful. So here's a tiny fraction of my "thankful list."

I am thankful for...

Complete assurance that when I die, I'll live forever in heaven with God.
My family.
My school and the excellent education I've had and presently am getting.
Music.
Sports.
Food.
Good times and great people.
Trials that make me grow.
My scoliosis.
Having to wear back braces.
Having a spinal fusion.
Going through pain.
My new physical limitations (which are few).
A straighter spine.
Perfect posture.
The opportunities to encourage others because of what I've gone through.
What I've learned through it all.

Many of these things listed are great things, while others are not necessarily pleasant. But without these, I would not be where I am today. I need both the good things and the bad. And I'm thankful for them, too. God has specifically placed each one in my life for a purpose. If only we viewed everyday the way we view Thanksgiving.