1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
I tend to enjoy the girliest of girly movies. I love the romcoms and the cheesy comedies and the 80s “Brat Pack” films. When I watch a movie, I want to be encouraged, and I want to laugh, and I want to leave the theater feeling happy. I enjoy the occasional action/adventure film, dramas are alright too, but nothing beats a movie that brings happiness.
Yesterday, I watched a movie with my mom at her choosing. Of course, she chose a movie that deeply saddened me. “The Other Side of the Mountain” is the true story of a woman named Jill Kinmont. At the age of eighteen, she was one race away from skiing in the Olympics when she had a horrible accident. It left her paralyzed from the neck down, unable to ski ever again. Her boyfriend at the time left her, and when she got engaged to another famous skier many years later, he died on his flight to see her. Talk about bad luck.
My heart just broke as I watched this sweet, talented young woman’s life fall apart before her eyes. Jill went from having it all to having very little, but that was only in my eyes. After accepting her new reality, she was more determined than ever to contribute to her community in a positive way, and became the first paraplegic elementary school teacher in the country. More than anything, she was simply grateful to be alive. She may have been unable to use her arms and legs, but she appreciated that she had a heart pumping blood and a brain that had no limit to the knowledge she could acquire.
I felt sad for her, but my sadness, in turn, made me so appreciative for the life I have today. Jesus has blessed me in more ways than I ever dreamed—we all are thankful for our food on the table, the families we have, the friends who support us, but how often do we give thanks for the simple things the Lord has provided us with? Two arms and two legs. Eyes that can read the Bible and ears that can hear the Gospel. Our lives could be crumbling, we could be having relationship troubles, friend troubles, our parents could be mad at us. We may be failing a class, or broke a bone and are unable to play our favorite sports. The sky could be falling, but at the end of the day, God has given you a beautiful body. Your eyes are viewing this message and you have a mind that can read it!
This isn’t to say our own personal struggles don’t matter. Our stories absolutely matter. Your pain and your problems matter, but regardless of what we experience, you’ve been blessed with a mind and body that can experience internal and external battles. Today, reflect on a conflict you’ve experienced that has changed you in some way. Are you thankful for this battle? Are you grateful for the learning experience God gave you? How can you use it to glorify him?