Finding Gratitude in Messy Moments

I am happy to introduce today's guest blogger, my friend Dayna Bickham. Dayna is an incredibly talented story teller and writer, all around. She is the author of " No More Lies" which is available through her website, and has more projects in the works! Be sure to check out her bio below for more info!

Today Dayna is sharing a story on learning thanksgiving in adversity as a contribution towards The Thankful Project. 

She yells and screams at me, “I hate you!” and something inside me breaks. How did we come to this? This place where all we ever seem to do is fight and all we ever see in the other are the things we do not like?

Parenting teens is difficult. Any parent who tells you they don’t worry or wonder about their kids a little bit more than they did before they turned into hormonal, easily aggravated and somewhat unbalanced people is either a- not a parent, or b- insane.  For me, parenting teens is a rollercoaster of emotions. One minute I feel immense pleasure over who my kid is becoming and in the next moment I want to scream “What did you do to my precious cherub of a child, you hideous monster?!”

Not that I get to yell that.

Ever.

But boy do I want to.

So, in the midst of all the angst, and between their bouts of yelling and the occasional silent treatment, how can I honestly say I am thankful for my kids?

When it all boils down to it, they have been the catalysts God has used to challenge and change me more than anything else.  For that I am thankful.

I thought I may never get to have children so having two is a bit of a miracle. On top of that, having both of them healthy has been a challenge. We have battled epilepsy, learning disorders, emotional problems, and personal differences.

Through it all I am constantly surprised and generally amazed by them. Even when we are fighting, my girls display so much character and strength. I look at them and I get, in some small way, how God must feel about us.

Even when we are acting like complete rear ends, He manages to love us perfectly. For that, I am also grateful.

So during a month that is both beautiful and beautifully challenging with its busy shopping season, family gatherings, and reflective qualities, I chose to be grateful for the thing that brings the most aggravation into my life: my kids.

Without them, I would feel a little less full. Without them I would be more self-centered, and without them I would probably be a little less tired. But I would not change it. Not for all the rest, money or peace of mind in the world, because in the end, they are the reason I was made. And for that, I am thankful.  Even if I need some Tylenol and a nap.

 Dayna Bickham is a wife and mother. She loves missions work and is passionate about writing. For her, the epitome of a great day is one spent loving on others and a night spent writing about it. She loves bread too much and exercises too little, but now she knows she is the child of the King, and nothing else really matters. Dayna blogs regularly at daynabickham.com.