I remember

I'm having one of those "thankful" days, ever have those? Just a day to reflect on all you have seen, all you remember, and being thankful for where you are today. I remember.

The other night we met with the Pastors at our church that do outreach and as we were talking about different things we want to do to reach our city (mind you our city is named the "most miserable place to live) I remembered. I was sharing with them how there was a time as a kid that I recall getting food from a church. It broke me into tears talking about it, as if it just happened. We lived on Welfare most of my childhood, and that's not a fun place to live. It was not like my mom did not work hard either, it was just that my dad was no help at all to her financially. She did not sit around, collect government money and call it a day. She was one that tried her hardest to get off the system; but with 4 kids, you can imagine how hard it was. When I look back on my childhood, I generally think of everything from my perspective, how it affected me. Now that I'm an adult, with kids of my own, I can only imagine a glimpse of what my mom must have felt on a daily basis.

I did not intend for this to be a sad post however, sometimes you have to remember the rough times in order to appreciate the now. I remember. And I appreciate. I generally am a thankful person anyway, not because I'm super awesome and always have the right attitude, no. I guess it's just because I do remember, I remember where I used to live. And I see where I live now.

I'm so thankful that God lifted me out of the mirey clay, that He set my feet on a solid rock. I'm so thankful to have a great family, to have great friends. I'm so thankful to be part of a church that is gearing up to reach this miserable place to live. I'm just so thankful. Because I remember.