In life, everyone’s road has some bumps along the way.
Sometimes those bumps make you stumble. Sometimes they seem like mountains you might never get over. Sometimes the bumps send you on a detour you never expected.
This Thankful Thursday I am thankful for those bumps in my road.
I am thankful for the bumps that made me stronger,
the bumps I didn’t think I’d get past,
and the bumps that sent me in a new direction.
Without them, where would I be?
Without each blister on my hands during bars practice, having to soak them in salt water at night so they’d toughen and I could compete in the gymnastics meet the next day; without each rude comment about the thickness of my glasses or the clothes I was wearing… Each of these bumps made me stronger, whether physically, emotionally, or mentally.
Without the disappointment of not landing a teaching job that first year out of college, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to live as a substitute – where I learned so many things that helped me become a better teacher.
Without the betrayal of a jackass an immature guy who supposedly wanted to spend his life with me, I might never have known how caring and strong a real man could be.
Without the heartache of being turned down numerous times when we were looking for a puppy, we never would have found Fluffybutt – the perfect dog for us.
It is easy to be disappointed when we don’t get what we want in life. Easy to feel angry and hurt when we are wronged. It is easy to see the negatives instead of the positives when we hit those bumps in the road.
But today I am choosing to be thankful for them. After all, each and every bump has brought me to where I am today.
Now I challenge you. What bumps in the road are you thankful for?
New this week – if you wrote a Thankful Thursday post of your own, link it up here!
Rach says
So true!
Denise says
Amen, well said.
Blond Duck says
I’m thankful for learning to watch the signs and to quit fighting my true nature.
OneMommy says
That’s a hard one!
Cami says
Sometimes it is the bumps that make us who we are today <3
Thank you for linking up to First Day of My Life's Thankful Thursday…hope to see you next week!! Have a blessed Friday 🙂
OneMommy says
So true – they really do make us who we are today.
Loved linking up; looking forward to next week!
Kathleen says
I am so thankful for bumps, hills, mountains,… All have made me stronger, made my faith stronger and I am so grateful for the Lord’s grace! Amen!
OneMommy says
Without the Lord’s help and grace, I can not imagine where I’d be right now.
OneMommy says
Without the Lord’s help and grace, I can not imagine where I’d be right now.
SuzieQ says
This was a great post! Oddly enough, I just wrote something kind of like this too on my own blog. I also couldn’t find a teaching job right out of college. Who knew substitute teaching would be a blessing, right? Your dog is freaking adorable by the way. Soooo cute.
OneMommy says
Great minds think alike — can’t wait to read your post.
Yeah, we think our dog is pretty cute, too. 🙂
Heather says
fluffybutt hehe what a cute name! love it! thanks for linking up!
OneMommy says
🙂 I have to admit, it’s just her name on the blog… But with what the kids named the cat, it could very well be her name….
Whitney says
Love the bumps in the road….keeps us grounded. I’m gonna do Thankful Thursday with you. Stopping by from SITS
OneMommy says
Thanks for stopping by and participating in Thankful Thursday!
Those bumps do keep us grounded, don’t they?
ChrissyBee says
Praise GOD for the mistakes in our life, man…this is where growth and transformation happens…we would never learn if we didn’t have mistakes…thank you for reminder to sit back and chill to take the time to reflect on the things that I’m grateful and thankful for.
Visiting from SITS.
OneMommy says
Yes! I always said that when teaching – we learn from our mistakes!
Zena (healingmoments) says
So very true. Many things that happened to me in the past, have made me stronger and wiser, not right at that moment when they were painful and I saw them as a misfortune, but later on because I have had to learnt to live with them and their consequences. Indeed many experiences of my childhood and early youth had these characteristics, they were bumps and great lessons also, and now I am grateful for them
OneMommy says
Sometimes we just need that time, and space, to see the good of our misfortunes.
No matter what has happened in my past, I wouldn’t change it b/c it has brought me to where I am today, and made me that much stronger.
misssrobin says
Just like we get stronger physically through resistence training, the struggles in our lives are how we get emotionally stronger. Nice post. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Stopping by from SITS. Have a great weekend.
Nicole says
So true and very well said. I have had many obstacles over the course of my life. I would never trade in the heartaches and pain. Changing those moments would ultimately change the person that I am today and possibly the blessing that I have now. Thanks for sharing … & thanks for stopping by my blog 🙂
Donna says
You know, I’m thankful for all the bumps in the road, although I do get frustrated when I trip over the same one again and again. My bumps in the road have made me who I am today, and have made me a better person.
OneMommy says
Had to laugh, never thought about it, but I’ve tripped over the same one a few times, too. I guess if you don’t learn the first time, God gives you another chance…
Donna says
Yes, I believe he does.