Be Thankful For Your Crosses

We all have our crosses to bear in this life and some are more obvious than others. But, as much as it is hard to be happy about them, we should be thankful for our crosses because it is from carrying the cross of Christ that we receive many blessings.

Below are some of the crosses that I have encountered in life and why I’m thankful for them. I’d encourage you to think about your crosses and pray that you can see the blessings that came from them; and be thankful for them.

I am thankful:

• That I was a houso growing up – it helped shaped my character and made me the person I am today. I am determined and I don’t shirk hard work because I know what it’s like to do it tough. I’m also not too materialistic because when all’s said and done, I have every thing that I need.
• That my family are fractured and bitter – because every hurt I endure brings me closer to Jesus whose shoulder is ready for my fresh tears, and I have learned that to live without forgiving others is not life at all. To live the spirit of bitterness is to lose the ability to love and live charitably. If I did not know bitterness, I would not have witnessed the power of forgiveness.
• That I was bullied in high school – because the very qualities that I was bullied for are the qualities that others now like the most in me. And in some small way, being bullied for my faith makes me feel as though I have had some small share in huge persecution of Christians.
• That my family are scared of big families – I am provided with an opportunity to show them that large families are a blessing and each child a gift from God.
• That I am not perfect – because this gives me the opportunity to practice humility and model this virtue for my children. It also presents an opportunity for me to practice asking for forgiveness and encouraging them to do the same.
• That my discernment process turned out differently to what I expected – instead of spiritual motherhood I am a physical mother and this is where I find my inner contentment.
• That I suffered post natal depression – here I learned humility and to ask God for help instead of trying to do everything myself.

There are many more I could list here but I think you get the idea. What are some crosses in your life that you are thankful for?

Originally posted 2015-04-28 12:00:27.