thankful for pain

Is it wrong to be thankful for pain?  It sure seems to go against the grain. 

There is some pain that I will never be thankful for.  I will never be thankful that my son was sick, only thankful that he got well. 

But there are many painful things that I am thankful for:

• I am thankful for gray hair and a balding head.  It means that I am getting older, and getting older is better than not.
• I am thankful for people who have hurt me.  Sometimes I deserved it, but even when I didn't these experiences have taught me a good deal about forgiveness.
• I am thankful for chances that I have had to visit the inner city and other countries.  what I saw there was painful, but it also made me more compassionate and more appreciative.
• I am thankful for the illnesses that I have had.  They have reminded me to appreciate every single day.
• I am thankful for the things that have not gone my way.  They have taught me to trust in God. 
• I am thankful for the many bumps along the road.  They have taught me to be tenacious and keep going.

Pain or not, it is still a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.