Blessed and thankful

It was raining when I left the house for work this morning. I love rain! I'm thankful for rain!

I've spent a lot of my adult life focusing on the negative in my life. Honestly, even as a kid, I had this problem. "God, Why do I have to be chunky AND have dry skin?" I remember laying in my bed, saying this outloud on many occasions. Or, "God, Why do I have to have brothers and sisters who get into trouble? Why can't my family BE NORMAL?" Little did I know, at that time, how normal we were!

As an adult the questions are, "God, Why can't I have.." or "God, Why does my son struggle with...", or (you'll love this one), "But, God, It's just not fair!"

Last Fall, I began living my life for God. And it is a daily struggle, because I'm not perfect. That's right, living my life for God has not made me perfect. It has made me aware of how far from perfect I am, and that God doesn't expect me to be. It also has made me aware of my blessings, and that my life doesn't have to be perfect to be blessed. I'm learning to be thankful for the good things in my life, as well as the bad. I'm learning that perservering through bad things brings me closer to the Lord, and perhaps gives a hint of a Godly reflection to those around me.