10 Years Later...Living Grateful

Living Grateful

There are times when it feels like yesterday and other times when it seems like a lifetime ago. Regardless, we have learned a lot along the way.

Life is Sacred- If you want to understand what the Lord is doing in the middle of your circumstances you must first acknowledge that life is sacred. There is a Divine intent in every breath you take. With every beat of your heart.

Quality of Life- The unspoken message the world sends is that if you are "normal," that is, if you have good health, have no limitations, own the right things, live independently, then there is potential for a good "quality of life". However, if you are "different" in any way, then the chances are slim. The world begs the question, is your life really worth living? We were faced with this early on when we were being asked to consider letting Josh go. Instead, we went "All In" on Josh's future. Yes, we were hopeful but we also went into it knowing the statistics and the challenges that would come. We were promised nothing and we are incredibly grateful for all we have seen and learned.

Suffering- In this life there will be suffering. There are some who do all they can to run from it. Some believe that if you pray hard enough and believe strong enough, then suffering will relent. Our encouragement would be not to run but let it teach you all it can about faith, hope, endurance, etc...do not be afraid. Put your trust solely in the One who created you.

Choose Joy- Joy is a choice. It is not based upon circumstances. It is founded on Faith in our sovereign God. The police chief in Buena Vista told us a few days after the accident, "God's got this." At a time we were powerless and living from one minute to the next, these words rang true. We can choose joy because we know "God's got this."

Living Grateful- At the core of our experience, possibly the greatest takeaway is how gratefulness has transformed our lives. I have often told others that even though I wish this had never happened to Josh or our family, I would hate the thought of giving up what we have learned through the experience. We have experienced love from our community and strangers that most people in the world never experience. We have watched the Lord use this situation in the lives of others. We have learned to live in the moment and not get caught up in our plans for the future or regrets about the past. We are just grateful for the here and now and all that each moment brings. We are grateful for the people we have come to know on this journey. We appreciate you following along. We hope you will continue as there is so much more to come!

All In For Josh!

The Fohners

ps. We believe we will have some good news regarding the documentary. We will let you know more soon.