Thanksgiving Daily, Not Just November

I had a reality check the other day. You know, those moments when suddenly what you thought was a really bad situation you were able to view from another—more positive—angle.

As I have “matured” my post-polio issues have multiplied and become complicated by a number of factors. I woke up the other day and it seemed like every single part of my body hurt—all the way to my eyelashes. I moaned and groaned, complaining to the Lord that according to Schisler Family genetics, I’m probably going to live a Very Long Time (my Aunt Helene just turned 98!), enduring a pain-filled extended life. Discouragement, depression, dismalness—all the “D” words—put me into a sorry state.

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Then yesterday I happened to read Joni Eareckson Tada’s blog, describing her present condition, 50 years after her swimming accident that left her a quadriplegic. This dear woman of God, who has influenced so many people through her testimony, can’t even scratch her own nose, feed herself—much less take care of her own bodily needs. Joni wrote:

"Every single morning when I wake up I need Jesus so badly; I just can't tolerate the thought of another day as a quadriplegic with someone else giving me a bed bath and exercising my legs and toileting routines— it all just seems too overwhelming.” Her next thought is to pray, "Jesus, I need you. I can't do this. I cannot do quadriplegia but I can do all things through you."

I was so convicted. “Lord, I just need to shut up, suck it up, straighten up, give up the complaints and BE THANKFUL, for heaven’s sake. Nowhere even close to Joni’s challenges, I am blessed beyond belief. (And by the way, my pain levels are greatly reduced today. Sometimes it's the weather, circadian rhythms, cycles of the moon, NASA launches, government idiocies--I dunno. Some days are just like that!)

Thanksgiving isn’t just a one-day holiday. It’s a daily event— a life-long attitude. Today I am truly thankful.