“A father is a person who gives life.” – unknown
“Giving thanks always for ALL things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Ephesians 5:20 NKJV
“And we know that ALL things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28 NKJV
Getting ready for work yesterday morning while listening to the radio, someone who was adopted said that they did not harbor ill will towards their biological father for leaving and not being present in their life. He said, “I am grateful for him, because he is the one who gave me life.”
I heard this and my world stopped… I stopped putting on my makeup, my mind was empty except for the words that I had just heard. I felt as though I had been hit with a brick. All I kept hearing in my head was, that is what happened to me. My biological father chose to not be a dad and he abandoned my mother and me. From the time I found out that the person I called “dad” was not my biological father, I was angry, I was upset. I thought to myself, “How could someone not love me and my mom enough that they would abandon us?” I remember spending many fathers’ days and birthday’s being angry with my biological father. How could he do this to me, why did he do this? I watched all of my other friends experience their father’s love, and I was jealous. Later in life I worked on forgiving him for leaving, for not being there for me, for not being there when I lost my first tooth, at my high school graduation, and when I graduated from college. In my heart I forgave him, I no longer am upset with him, angry with him, I had finally forgiven him.
I had never stopped to think about actually giving thanks for my biological father until I heard the man above talk about his father. I never stopped to give thanks for my biological father for giving me life. If it were not for him, I would not be breathing, eating, singing, dancing, laughing, loving and giving. To think of him as giving me life and not taking my life away since he left, was a complete 180 degree turn. To think of him as giving me life, opened up the flood gates of love in my heart for him. I may not know him, I have never seen or touched him, but I love him because of the life he gave me .
After meditating on this new understanding I though of other things I am thankful for:
I am thankful for the eating disorder I developed, it created many facets in my life and built up a strong character. It gives me a reason to live every day and it taught me how precious life is from beginning to end.
I am thankful for not having a strong family unit. It has allowed me to create many “families” all across the US. I have many people who have “adopted” me as one of their own. It is a gift to have so many families all over that love me.
I am thankful for my step-dad. Although we had some very rough spots in our relationship, especially when we had a rough time, I am thankful for all that he did to provide for me. I am thankful that he took me in and adopted me and loved me the best he could.
I am thankful for the day that I was told I was a mistake, it made me realize that no matter what, I am a child of God and that my heavenly Father will love me no matter what I do.
The Bible says to be thankful “always in ALL things to God.” It might be hard sometimes to be thankful for things we judge at the moment to be ”bad”, and can’t see the “good or benefit” in it. I think we can’t see the “good” because we lack vision and it is only in hind-sight we can see the it. You may be thinking to yourself that the things I listed above are not “feel good” things that I have endured. You are right, they are not, but in every “bad” thing there is always “good” to be found.
Think of every “bad” thing that happens as an opportunity to find a golden nugget. Can you find the golden nugget to be thankful for in every experience you have? What experiences can you change from a negative to a positive and be thankful for? What are your golden nuggets?
“I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher(s) for living well.” – Alexander the Great
Have a super day!
Rebekah Chavez
e/d Chip Hart
“Giving thanks always for ALL things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Ephesians 5:20 NKJV
“And we know that ALL things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28 NKJV
Getting ready for work yesterday morning while listening to the radio, someone who was adopted said that they did not harbor ill will towards their biological father for leaving and not being present in their life. He said, “I am grateful for him, because he is the one who gave me life.”
I heard this and my world stopped… I stopped putting on my makeup, my mind was empty except for the words that I had just heard. I felt as though I had been hit with a brick. All I kept hearing in my head was, that is what happened to me. My biological father chose to not be a dad and he abandoned my mother and me. From the time I found out that the person I called “dad” was not my biological father, I was angry, I was upset. I thought to myself, “How could someone not love me and my mom enough that they would abandon us?” I remember spending many fathers’ days and birthday’s being angry with my biological father. How could he do this to me, why did he do this? I watched all of my other friends experience their father’s love, and I was jealous. Later in life I worked on forgiving him for leaving, for not being there for me, for not being there when I lost my first tooth, at my high school graduation, and when I graduated from college. In my heart I forgave him, I no longer am upset with him, angry with him, I had finally forgiven him.
I had never stopped to think about actually giving thanks for my biological father until I heard the man above talk about his father. I never stopped to give thanks for my biological father for giving me life. If it were not for him, I would not be breathing, eating, singing, dancing, laughing, loving and giving. To think of him as giving me life and not taking my life away since he left, was a complete 180 degree turn. To think of him as giving me life, opened up the flood gates of love in my heart for him. I may not know him, I have never seen or touched him, but I love him because of the life he gave me .
After meditating on this new understanding I though of other things I am thankful for:
I am thankful for the eating disorder I developed, it created many facets in my life and built up a strong character. It gives me a reason to live every day and it taught me how precious life is from beginning to end.
I am thankful for not having a strong family unit. It has allowed me to create many “families” all across the US. I have many people who have “adopted” me as one of their own. It is a gift to have so many families all over that love me.
I am thankful for my step-dad. Although we had some very rough spots in our relationship, especially when we had a rough time, I am thankful for all that he did to provide for me. I am thankful that he took me in and adopted me and loved me the best he could.
I am thankful for the day that I was told I was a mistake, it made me realize that no matter what, I am a child of God and that my heavenly Father will love me no matter what I do.
The Bible says to be thankful “always in ALL things to God.” It might be hard sometimes to be thankful for things we judge at the moment to be ”bad”, and can’t see the “good or benefit” in it. I think we can’t see the “good” because we lack vision and it is only in hind-sight we can see the it. You may be thinking to yourself that the things I listed above are not “feel good” things that I have endured. You are right, they are not, but in every “bad” thing there is always “good” to be found.
Think of every “bad” thing that happens as an opportunity to find a golden nugget. Can you find the golden nugget to be thankful for in every experience you have? What experiences can you change from a negative to a positive and be thankful for? What are your golden nuggets?
“I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher(s) for living well.” – Alexander the Great
Have a super day!
Rebekah Chavez
e/d Chip Hart