One Thousand Gifts

We have so much to be thankful and grateful for.Our problem is that all too often we forget that truth.  Too many times what occupies our minds are the things that aren’t going well, the drama that encircles us and the worry that consumes our souls.

But the truth is we all have a lot to be thankful for.

In 2013, I set out to read 100 books cover to cover in a year.  It was a fun project and I really enjoyed it.  During that project I found myself finding new authors and branching out and reading books that I would have normally passed by.

If you asked me to list the 100 books I read that year I would struggle to name many of them, but one that would bubble to the surface of my memory immediately would be Ann Voskamp’s “One Thousand Gifts”.   

At the time Ann was a blogger and stay at home mom and she dared to ask the question, “How do we find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and daily duties?  What does the Christ-life really look like when your days are gritty, long – and sometimes even dark?  How is God even there?”

So Voskamp set out to answer the question by listing out all of the things she was thankful and grateful for each day.  It didn’t matter how little or large the blessings were, she wanted to make sure that she didn’t miss anything that God had sent her way.

I found this book to be extremely convicting and challenging.  It really opened me up to a different way of looking at my word, capturing the beauty of each moment, and little by little letting go of the frustrations and irritations that seemed to drain the life from me.

As we approach this season of Thanksgiving and gift giving, I challenge you to start making a list of all the blessing that God as put in your life.  You might be surprised how little time it could take you to get to ‘one thousand gifts’.

We have a lot to be thankful for and I plan on spending more of my time embracing each gift that God has blessed me with.

I hope and pray that you will be able to count your gifts and see how great God really is, discovering gratitude and thankfulness in every moment.