Welcome to another chapter of Grateful Heart Monday, where I begin each week with a piece of gratitude to start things off on a positive note, which for today I want to express my thanks for the life I’ve been given.
For those who know the suffering I’ve been going through, there have been far too many days where I’ve lost focus on the life I’ve been given. Instead, I’ve chosen to focus on self-pity, misery, and often even anger for what I continue to go through. But, after watching two movies today, one about a famous journalist who toured many war-torn countries, and one about a low-income writer who suffered immensely from a poor self-image, dishonesty and alcoholism, I realized I needed to be far more grateful for the life God blessed me with, even if it currently is filled with tons of physical pain.
The fact is I could have been born into a family that was utterly poor.
I could have been born into a family from an area on this planet where food and water are at a constant shortage.
I could have been born into a family who lived in a place where bombs and gunfire fly on a daily basis.
I could have been born into a family where sexual and physical abuse were prevalent.
I could have been born with any number of disabilities that prevented me from living out any semblance of an average life.
I could have been born anywhere where freedom to be me wasn’t present.
The reality is I could have been born into any number of situations far worse than the one I was born into and am now presently living with.
So, while I might have been born into a family plagued with alcoholism and depression, I was raised with good moral values, who did their best to place the focus on God first, and who never allowed me to experience a shortage of anything. And as an adult, even though my life has been plagued for the last 8 and ½ years with chronic pain, I’ve never been deficient with food, water, shelter, clothing, or even companionship. So, I choose to be thankful today for the life I’ve been given, rather than beginning my week off focusing on what I don’t have. Because ultimately, I have been blessed, and for that I’m truly grateful.
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson
