Six years ago, I suffered a massive stroke. Many of you know the story... it was told extremely well here on my blog thanks to Toben, who kept everyone up to date and provided me with the details in a story I experienced firsthand but don't remember at all at the same time. I go back from time to time to read and fill in blanks.
So today is an anniversary, an occasion, a celebration, a remembrance. It's my stroke-adversary, my rebirth day, my miracle day, my survival day. It's a day marked with some sorrow, some regret, some confusion, but also marked with a lot of gratitude and a lot of trust.
It's a day I remember life as it was, a day I grieve the life I lost, and a day I celebrate life itself. I look back at the steps taken to get to today. I look forward to the steps still ahead. I am particularly reminded of what Paul wrote in Romans about how since God gave us the biggest gift of Jesus, it stands to reason that he'll also give us all those smaller gifts we need to live life abundantly until he returns. And I think that since God saved my life and gave me the gift of life itself, it also stands to reason that he'll also give me those smaller gifts I need to keep on living and recovering as I go through each day and season ahead. It's a day I trust God to continue giving me life--to keep restoring my life little by little as it gets more and more abundant.
Today is the day I was expected to die, the day my life was going to be over. But instead, today is the day God spared my life. Today is my life day.
I am grateful.
I am grateful for you. So many of you prayed for me and trusted God for me when I could not. Thank you so much for carrying me through such a hard season six years ago.
With great love,
Joanne
