Affirmation # 10: I Am Alive by Susan L.

 In true dictionary form, via Google this time, life is first defined as something that isn't dead. Go figure. :)
  It then goes on to say, in order to be classified as alive, something has to grow, reproduce, have cells, respond to stimuli, and continually change preceding death.
  Intelligence isn't a sign of life. It's a side effect of having a brain.
  Thank You, Lord, for brains.
  All creatures with brains are capable of feelings. Fear is necessary for survival in the jungle or on the vast plains where the cheetahs run. Fear created human community. Shared tasks like hunting and child rearing guaranteed the survival of our species. Eventually, language, creativity, and a quest for knowledge led us to our current place in Earth's history.
  DNA testing has proven there is a genetic Adam and Eve. There is one man and one woman the entire human species is descended from. Humans have come a long way since then, technologically.
  That same technology is stunting our potential. Community becomes less important than checking a cell phone for the latest social media update.
  There's a hunger in the human soul for community which is why cell phones are checked so often in the first place.
  To be alive is to be relational. At least from a human standpoint.
  In thinking about the past comes the understanding that the life I lived then wasn't relational. My brain enabled me to function despite being emotionally disconnected. I didn't think about anything except for the odd time when I was delighted to help my daughter with an essay for school or my son (laughingly) with his physics homework.
  It wasn't living. It was a sad and very lonely existence.
  Sigh. I feel bad for the woman I once was. So much was missed. So much time was lost on the Black River.

  Hmmm, thank You, Lord, for freeing me of the regrets those memories once created.
  Better yet, thank You for redeeming those lost years and helping me to be thankful for all the experiences they contained.
  I am alive through an unwavering, eternal relationship with One who waited patiently for me to come home.
  I can experience life and the mysteries found around every corner.
  I am free to explore those mysteries, free to experience the wonder and awe that are so much a part of those "Ah-ha!" moments.
  I am full of life because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt there will be many better tomorrows.
  All because I have a Jesus in my life.
  "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by faith you have been saved). Eph 3:4-5