He Grants Me All This

God grants me life. I have another day to consider each blessing afforded me. This one must be listed first, for without it I cannot enjoy any of those which follow. So I have this day to do much as I please, but I must remember to praise Him. It is by His will alone that I have this day.

God grants me health. While I am beset by a condition which will likely be with me until I leave this world, it does not keep me immobile. Nothing in life is permanent. As for now, I can still enjoy simple pleasures like spring bloom, a summer's day, autumn colors, and snowball fights. My thanks to God for this one gift which is really many.

I also possess the boon of family. Some cannot claim this gift and others do not realize what a gift it really is. I came to realize the true value of it while living more than a state distant from any of them. Missing the birth of most of my nieces and nephews felt more and more painful with each one I missed. Now that I've returned to my hometown, I can see them frequently again. I am truly grateful for the family I have, since I know this gift is as fleeting as all the others. Each day I have them, I am truly blessed.

Friends have also been afforded me by God. Each one, far or near, gives me something different. Those distant souls contact me rarely, but we tend to talk for hours at a time. Closer companions offer other pleasures like sharing a beer with a buddy. Simple pleasures like these make life's problems that much easier to tolerate. Man was not meant to be alone. God gives us each other for that very reason.

God also grants me the gift of the written word and the talent to create with it. Therefore I can craft such things as this essay, an occasional angry diatribe, or a fictional story. Without His bestowed gifts upon me, I would not have such ability. Use of this skill brings me a personal joy which few can comprehend and even I cannot fully articulate.

Through His mercies, I am also part of a community of thousands with whom I may share my work. This comes with both rewards and pitfalls which I need not specify. I find that I am more often than not pleased with the opinions I receive. In many cases, those willing to share find errors which I missed in the writing. Without circles such as these, a writer's mind grows stagnant and there is no growth and he continues making the same mistakes. Through this group, God grants me growth I may not otherwise find.

Finally, and most importantly, God grants me his love. Without it, I would have none of the gifts listed above. Perhaps this final recognition may seem unnecessary to some, but it is not. All gifts, great and small, require equal note. In what limited wisdom I have, I know much more should be mentioned. That same wisdom allows me to realize my limits.

I thank those who read this work and take its words to heart. To those same I extend this invitation: write a similar piece of your own. Whenever you think your life is falling apart, read your own work and remember what you have. I intend to.