Could've Been Worse

A few days a week I hit up the gym for a quick workout since I am trying to be healthy and lose some weight.  Today was my first lunch workout of the week due to my workload and some other things.  I absolutely have to work out to music.  There is NO way I can get through a workout without any music or sound for that matter.  As always my iPod is on shuffle and plays every song in my library.  While I was on the elliptical Lyfe Jenning’s “Could’ve Been Worse” blasted through my earphones.  Now normally I just listen o the beats of the song and continue to work out.  For some reason today I actually listened to the lyrics and started to reflect on the things that have happened in my life and how they could’ve been worse.

The course of the songs goes:

And he said remember when you were sick and you got better, remember I put your family back together, remember I could have cut you off forever.
So no matter how bad you think it hurts.

It could've been worse, you could've been dead.
You could've been paralyzed, confined to a bed.
You could've lost everything, you should've lost everything.
But somebody’s watching you, and gave you another chance.

The words got me thinking about my life and my walk with God.  My life thus far has not been the best and surely not the worse.  I’ve been blessed to see 30 years on this earth and I have experienced the joys, pains, ups and downs of life.  God has blessed me with loving family/friends, employment, nice home, working vehicle, education, clothes, food ------ you get where I’m going. Granted He has also allowed me to experience mental/physical/emotional pain, low self-esteem, rape, illness, abandonment and some other things but as Lyfe sings, it could’ve been worse. 

He could’ve ended my story when I attempted to overdose on prescription meds or He could’ve let my cancer go undetected by my doctor or He could’ve let me fall off that bridge overseas.  There are so many things that could’ve happen, but God didn’t let it. The Bible says “I will never leave you nor forsake you…”  And in 30 years He hasn’t. 

I’m a walking testament to God’s love for those who call on His name and accept Him as his/she personal savior.  In my life I have been down, but NEVER out.  He has been there for me even when I didn’t want Him to be.  When I wanted to wallow in my pain and die He didn’t leave me.  He put angels around me to ensure I didn’t end the works He started in me when I first became saved as a child.  What an AWESOME God I serve. 

Lyfe goes on to sing:

You only got to God to complain but have you ever went to Him to just say thanks.

As I’ve grown closer to God I realize the importance of saying thank you to someone who does things He doesn’t have too.  I’m thankful to Him for my trails, my successes, happy times and sad times.  I know He is using these things to make me a stronger person in Christ and fully trust in Him.  I have a long way to go until I become the woman He wants me to be and at times its hard but I always remember it could’ve been worse. Thanks J.C.!!!!