Give Thanks - Day 8

Today's thanks might sound a little strange to some of you.  I am thankful for my past, which you can read about here.  I know it might seem odd to be thankful for something like that - but I am - because that shaped who I am today.  Recently I had the privilege and honor along with my husband to share with a group of college students pursuing their Bachelor's Degree in social work about The Daughter Project.  We began by telling them the reason we decided to sign up for it in the first place.  First we shared about a book we read, and then we shared why our hearts are geared in that direction - and I got to share a little bit of my testimony.  It's the first time in, oh, 15 years at least, that I have shared publicly in a group setting, any of my testimony.  The opportunity doesn't come up much - but when it does - I am happy to do it.  I'll have another chance to share with high school students at the end of this school year, Lord willing, and I am excited about that as well.  Anyway - after the presentation, a woman came up and shared with me her story and for the first time, I got to see in person how telling others helps them as well. 

If the stats are correct, 1 in ever 3 women are sexually violated in some way in their lifetime - which means in a class that size - this woman and myself were not alone.  Most of us don't talk about it - we shove it in the deep dark recesses of our minds where we feel it belongs - where it can't hurt us.  We feel shame, we feel guilt, heck, we don't know what we feel but we feel the need to keep silent.  I choose to bring to the light the dark hidden places so that others can find the healing power of Jesus Christ in my story. 

What about you? What's your story?  What about your past has shaped you today - even the difficult stuff - that you are thankful for?