The Essence of Gratitude

They say in this day and age, miracles are a thing of the past.
But I believe in miracles, because I see them everyday.
I see every moment, an unfolding of Divine perfection.
I see every event, a crystallized matrix of infinite possibilities.
I see every encounter, an instance of Divine teaching.
I see every face and soul, a labyrinth of Divine duality.
I see everything in nature, a tapestry of Divine splendor.

For in the sight of miracles, one can only be overjoyed.
In the arms of generosity, one can only be thankful.
In the beholding of beauty, one can only be enraptured.
In the grip of majesty, one can only be humbled.
In the recipiency of grace, one can only be grateful.

But at the root of gratitude, I’ve come to believe,
is in recognizing that you are not the source.
You did not cause your existence, body or soul.
You did not create your selfhood, being or worth.
You did not choose your states, emotions or thoughts.
You did not cause your life, you experience it.

The path of gratitude, I’ve come to believe,
is in coming to terms with your own finitude.
It is in accepting your own human boundedness.
It is in acknowledging that everything you have,
you have received, not by chance or entitlement.
It is in recognizing that Divine potential
emanates through you, not from you.

The fruit of gratitude, I’ve come to believe,
is in discovering an underlying Divine reality,
beyond your human rational comprehension,
that embodies perfection unfolding in every moment.
It is in living up to what you were entrusted with,
something so precious it exists nowhere else
in this seemingly infinite observable universe.

It is in living by a higher truth, that
your existence is a privilege, not a right.
Your being here is not in vain, but on purpose.
Your time here is limited, not without reckoning.
Your potential is unfolding, not an impossibility.
Your Divine trust is a gift, not a burden.
Your task is to strive, not to arrive.

You are here for the time being,
and just by the virtue of being
in the here and now,
you are up to the task,
you are ready for the endeavor.
Believe it. Rise up to it.
Embrace it. Embody it.

And be grateful for it all,
for it is all for your becoming.
On the first day of your existence, *
your story began with gratitude,
and the last chapter of your story *
will end with gratitude.