Today is My Alive Day

I read last year in an edition of Reader’s Digest about “Alive Day.” I want to add an excerpt from that article written by Steve Madden:

Alive Day is not, strictly speaking, a formal thing, and probably not something you’ve ever heard of if you haven’t had the occasion to celebrate it or are not part of the military. It certainly isn’t something national, like Veterans Day or Memorial Day. But to American soldiers who have been wounded—physically, mentally, or both—in battle, Alive Day is a very real thing: It is the anniversary of the day you were wounded, the day your life changed. The day you could have been killed, or were almost killed, but weren’t. It’s the day death came right alongside you, and maybe took some of your friends, but didn’t take you. You may have survived with terrible wounds, maybe wounds nobody but you can see, but the fact is, you survived. You’re alive. And that’s a fact worth celebrating.

Read more: https://www.rd.com/culture/veteran-alive-day/#ixzz3IyepKVyn
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About 10:05 p.m. on the night of 14 November of 2009, I was struck by a hit and run driver while walking home. I could have been killed; I could have been paralyzed; I could have been crippled; I could have become a vegetable. But those things didn’t happen. I survived and now I live. I live to glorify God and that He has continued to bless me each and every day in so many ways. I believe that I am the person I am today because I now have my Alive Day. I have a quest to complete now. A journey that I hope and pray will attest to the power, the love and the greatness of God. I have seen that Jesus Christ has the grace of salvation to give us when we acknowlege Him and give Him our absolute trust.

6 years!!! What a carefree existence I was living back then. I thought I was “in control” of so many facets of my life. I was as independent as any around me. It was a resounding crash when that existence was shattered. The reality of the situation was disturbing. The finality was unnerving. My life was changed forever.

I could have moped around. I could have felt sorry for myself. I could have been mad. I could have wanted revenge. But instead I prayed. I prayed for answers. I prayed for strength. I prayed for guidance. I prayed that God would tell me how to work for Him and not for myself.

I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done. ~ Psalm 118:17

If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. ~ Romans 14:8 +++

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About David Christenson: He is a lifelong resident of South Dakota, grew up on a farm north of Claremont and attended school in Amherst and Britton, graduating from Britton in 1977. David married Gretchen Tisher in 1984. Gretchen is also a graduate of Britton and teaches math and drama at Britton-Hecla high school. David and Gretchen have two children. Zach is an engineer for Continental Ag in Norfolk, Nebraska and his wife Amanda is a nurse. Margo lives in Denver and works as a Marketing & Outreach coordinator for MyLifeLine.org, a cancer support not-for-profit entity. David started a cow/calf operation in the 1980s and farmed on the family farm after his high school graduation until December of 1994 when he accepted a sales position at the John Deere store in Britton. David left the John Deere sales position in March of 2006 and became a licensed crop insurance agent in May of 2006. David also started a rental business in 2010 and remained in the cattle business until January of 2012. David, age 55, has had some extraordinary circumstances in his life. He was run over by a farm tractor before age 6 and had three heart attacks a few months before turning 40. Then he suffered life threatening injuries a few months after turning 50 in a hit and run incident. David was diagnosed with leukemia in 2012 and skin cancer in 2014. David started writing his recovery experiences on Facebook in December of 2009. Over the next four years those Facebook notes became what would become chapters in his book, “Why Are You Here?” which was published in December of 2013.

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