Today is a special day; a day of remembrance, reflection and gratitude. On this day, exactly fifteen years ago; just one week before my fortieth birthday, I was diagnosed with MS.

How is having an incurable disease special and worth remembering? Some might ask. The disease itself isn’t special and I’d be crazy to say that having MS is great, but that’s not what I commemorate.

What is special are all the blessings and ways my life has improved because of having MS. Furthermore, my heart is filled with gratitude for the many, many times over the last fifteen years the Lord has come to me, comforted me, taught me, blessed me and never left my side as I’ve faced the hardest, most terrible and longest trial of my life.

Specific blessings and improvements received over the last fifteen years are too many to name. Sufficiently said, I’m stronger, happier and closer to the Lord than before being diagnosed. Many times I’ve said he wanted to bless me so he gave me a trial, and I know it’s true.