The Year in Letters

Counting my blessings from A to Z

Another year’s over! That was quick…

As the year winds down, I’m taking stock of all the reasons I have to praise God and all the blessings God has poured into my life. Most of them, I don’t see until I look back.

With that said, here are my ABCs of gratitude from this past year (yea I know ABCs sounds childish, but I need a prompt or else I can’t think of anything).

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A — Anesthesia.

This year I had screws drilled into my jaw for medical reasons… which is a sentence I never thought I’d type, yet here we are. Without anesthesia, I genuinely don’t think I would’ve survived. So yea, very grateful for modern medicine!

B — Books.

Books taught me things and helped me put words to thoughts I didn’t know how to express. And the Bible is the best book of all time!

C — Chocolate.

Chocolate didn’t solve my problems, but it made them slightly less offensive.

D — Dependable drivers.

This year 2 of my family members were in car accidents, and I was almost in an accident myself. Thankfully, we’re all okay. But once you have a scary experience, you’re suddenly thankful for dependable people on the road: both the ones driving you and the ones in other vehicles.

E — Eggs.

I love scrambled eggs. 🙃 Nothing more to say.

F — Family.

I’m grateful for the way my family is present in my life. We might not be all close and cuddly (that’s a huge understatement actually), but we stick together when it matters.

G — Go.

This is a board game I recently got into. It’s a better hobby than doomscrolling, right?

H — Help.

If you’re like me, you’re sometimes a little too proud to ask for help. I’m glad God taught me that everyone needs help, including myself.

I — Injuries.

I sprained a foot twice this year, pretty badly actually. I realized very quickly how much I like being able to walk. Occasional injuries keep me humble and grateful for my relatively healthy body.

J — Jesus.

Of course I have to be thankful for Jesus. Nothing in life would matter without the forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life that comes through God’s Son.

K — Knives.

Imagine trying to cleanly split a tomato in half without a sharp, high-quality knife. Just saying.

L — Loneliness.

Loneliness makes you aware of God’s presence. This year was a lonely season. I have no close friends, my sibling’s in another state, and there’ve been moments I wished I had someone to talk to. But that loneliness drives me closer to God, because even when I don’t have anyone else, I have Him. He’s always there. I can talk, vent, even crack embarrassing jokes, and He’ll listen. Now I know I have a best friend in the world, and He’s never leaving.

M — Math.

Math makes sense when so much else doesn’t. It makes my brain happy.

N — Notebooks.

It’s literally the only gift I want (aside from salvation). I use notebooks for everything: journals, records, random thoughts, drawings, lists I never finish… Notebooks 🤍

O — Opportunities.

There were a lot of opportunities this year, and I missed plenty of them. But God is a God of second chances. And even when I reach a dead end, God is still making a way.

P — Prayer.

God is beyond what we can comprehend. He created everything we see, sustains everything that exists, and orchestrates all of history and all of eternity. He could vaporize us with a 1/28 of a thought. And yet we can talk to Him directly. From wherever we are. Whenever we want. Ain’t that wild???

Q — Questions.

I've been wrestling with a lot of big questions about life, faith, relationships, purpose, future, morality, and reality. I'm thankful that I can ask questions and actually think about these things. How boring would life be if we weren’t allowed to wonder?

R — Rice.

Food is life, people. Besides, I love my fried rice and sushi.

S — Sky.

Astronomy and meteorology are my favorite sciences. When I was little, I wanted to be an astronaut or a pilot. The sky feels limitless. You can find it anywhere, and it gives life, like oxygen. When I’m overwhelmed, I look at the sky. It’s always changing but always beautiful.

T — Time.

It’s the one thing I will never have enough of. Seriously, how is it always running out??

U — USA.

I’m grateful for the country I live in and the freedoms I enjoy under the Constitution.

V — Volunteering.

Volunteering my time has taught me to use my abilities to serve others, not just to check off a requirement. I’ve also gotten to meet some pretty cool people!

W — Weather.

Sun is warm. Wind brings possibility. Rain is soothing. Snow is pretty. Storms make me feel alive. The only boring part is when the sky is fully cloudy and everything looks gray and depressed.

X — X-mas.

This was such a hard letter that I was tempted to cheat by saying “eXercise” or “eXtras.” Well, I love Christmas. Tis’ the season to be reminded of God’s love for us, which we could never ever deserve.

Y — Youth.

I won’t be young forever, so I want to make the most of it. Now’s the time to try new things, make dumb mistakes (because once you get older, people expect you to not be so stupid anymore), and have fun. Safely, legally, and not idiotically, of course!

Z — Zippers.

2 of my bags got their zippers yanked off this year, and they can’t be fixed. I will never take zippers for granted ever again. Whoever invented them is a genius.

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Feel free to share your own ABCs. I’d love to hear how God has worked in your life and/or what you’re thankful for.

Also, thanks for sticking with me. I often have no idea what I want to write or how to write it. So it honestly means a lot that you people take the time to read my writing.

God bless you all. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Jana