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As a little girl, I always wished for a beautiful story to tell when someone asked me what happened to my hands. I wanted a story that would turn pity into admiration. This morning as I reviewed my video for a media company before it was published, I felt the beauty of my story.
God has blessed my life significantly. My precious Lord has taken every hardship and turned them into beautiful blessings. I am so incredibly grateful for every gift.
So what changed for me? How did I go from hiding my scars and grieving over them to seeing them as a gift?
I changed how I interpreted my story. Instead of seeing myself as a victim of Amniotic Band Syndrome, I decided to see myself as an overcomer. The bands attacked me, and I survived. I’m alive to love and be loved. What could be better than that?
Every day we have a choice. We can be victims of our circumstances or choose to overcome them. This is my life, and I refuse to allow the enemy to steal my joy. I will not cry over what is missing but rejoice in all I still have. I will not focus on what I can’t do but on all that I can do.
I’m so incredibly thankful for every opportunity to tell others my story. We can literally change our lives instantly if we change our thoughts. The day I realized I could have died from the attack of the amniotic bands, but God spared me, changed my life. A new view about my hardships changed my tears of sorrow into tears of gratitude.
Candida Sullivan is an award-winning author, inspirational speaker and certified life coach. Her book, Despite Your Circumstances, won the 2016 CSPA book of the year award. It is her passion to help others learn to overcome their own circumstances. She lives in New Tazewell, Tennessee with her husband and children. To contact her, email candidasullivan@yahoo.com