What do we have that we’ve not been given?
As Thanksgiving rolls around and signals the end of an unprecedented year that has brought significant hardship, it might seem difficult to find things to be grateful for.
However, no matter whether times are hard or easy, there are countless, little aspects of our lives we should be grateful for.
This thought calls to mind the phrase “What do we have that we have not been given?” When you truly think about it, what could we even answer to that question? I realized that every aspect of my life brings a reason for gratitude. Here are just a few examples that point me to gratitude in my own life that can help you see your life as a reason for thankfulness.
Friends.
I have many great friends that I lean on for laughter, support, and walking through life together. Who would have thought that my random roommate is now one of my best friends? It’s a daily reminder that I’m not in control of who walks into my life.
School.
I am attending an excellent, 4-year university that I absolutely love. To get here, I had to have parents that worked hard to provide me with a good education, as well as hard-working teachers that poured themselves into my success.
Me.
My hair color, my eyes, my personality, my skills and talents——all gifts I have been given. All things I don’t have control over. (Well, mostly, these highlights aren’t all from the sun.)
Protection.
Think of all the close calls I could have had in my life but never known. Maybe that annoyingly long red light prevented me from being involved in the 5-car pileup further up the highway.
Health.
The fact that I walked to class this morning is a reason for rejoicing that not everyone has. There are a million tiny details and moving parts that make up our bodies and even if some of them don’t work correctly, think of the thousands that do.
Career.
Of course, personal hard work is an integral part of this, but I really wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for my parents, various mentors, and God-given abilities.
Life itself.
I get to breathe the crisp fall air, know the love of those close to me, aspire and achieve and fall and dance through this existence, all because God decided to give me the gift of life. And of course, the abundant and eternal life Jesus gives us is something I don’t even come close to deserving.
Even the tiniest things in life are a door into the world of gratitude.
My alarm clock this morning.
I have classes to go to which means I’m able to obtain higher education, something only a very small portion of the world has access to.
My laundry I am procrastinating putting in the washer.
I have so many clothes to keep me warm and comfortable!
The sunset.
Nothing makes me happier than a breath-taking sunset on my way home from work—something I certainly had nothing to do with.
The dishes I hate doing.
I have food to eat!!
I hope this list helps you look up from the tragedies that seem to have piled up this year and suck in a fresh, big breath of thankfulness. Once you fully realize all that you have been blessed with that you don’t deserve, it is easy to feel guilty. However, this is not the right response. We keep the cycle going and pay it forward.
Who can you pour into with what you have been given?
Sincerely, Hannah
Photography: Hannah B.