One Thousand . . . and more! . . . Gifts

By Laurie Ness

November!  Again!  How did it come back so quickly?  Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and it seems so appropriate to give some extra thought to gratitude this month.

Really, though, we should always be thinking of things to be thankful for.  It should be a natural part of our everyday lives.  After all, God supplies us with each breath we take, each opportunity to serve Him, each smile someone bestows upon us, not to mention provision for our every need.  There is always, always something to thank Him for, even in our most troubling times.

Earlier this year, I read Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts.  It's one of the most beautiful books I have ever read outside the Bible--maybe because it contains so much of God's Word and teaches/reminds us how to apply it.  Ann Voskamp is a farmer's wife, mother of six children, a survivor of deep wounds, and her words are poetic, moving, heart-wrenching, and joy-filled.

In her book, she writes about eucharisteo, the Greek word for giving thanks.  She challenges readers to start a list of 1,000 of God's gifts and to add to it every day.  What are you thankful for?  The sound of the crunch of leaves under your feet?  The five dollar bill you found in the laundry?  That your car started this morning?  Write it down!  He blesses us in endless ways, big and small.  I started this list immediately after I read the book (or maybe even during the reading of it), and it was an amazing experience!  Unfortunately, I allowed busyness to be an excuse to slack off on it--not a good thing.  I'm longing to return to it, and invite you to ask me if I have done so! ;)

The other day I heard Ann Voskamp speak (on a video) for the first time, and her voice is absolutely as beautiful as her written words.  There's nothing I can say on the topic of gratitude better than she can.  She is one of a kind.  So, my friends, I am going to treat you to a symphony of spoken words based on her written words, by sharing this video with you.  It's 22 minutes of wonderful.  Grab a mug of tea to warm your hands around and take the time to warm your heart with Ann's words.  Hear them!  Soak them in!  Live them!

Enjoy!  Be thankful!  Experience eucharisteo.

If the video isn't showing up on your screen, try clicking here.

Attitude of Gratitude

by Laurie Ness

"I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart;
   I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
   I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High."  Psalm 9:1,2

What a happy and joyful heart those words reflect.  Of course, happy and joyful are not always equal.  Happiness is an emotion.  Joy is an attitude.  Joy can be chosen in the worst of unhappy times. 

Whether we find ourselves in happy or unhappy circumstances this Thanksgiving season, let us choose joy by focusing on all we have for which to be grateful.  In fact, let's go beyond that and choose a grateful heart every day of the year!

What about those mundane or irritating circumstances we face every day?  Can we be thankful for those?  Absolutely!  Let's "strike out" those grumpy thoughts and replace them with gratitude.  For example:

"Where does all this laundry come from?!"   "I'm so glad my family has clothes to wear."

"Ugh!  All these dishes!"   "Thank You, Lord, for each dear person who ate from these dishes!"

"So help me, if I hear that child whine one more time. . .!"    "I'm so thankful God gave you to me (but you're still not getting what you want with that tone of voice)."

"I ALWAYS pick the longest line at the grocery store!"  "Thankfully, I have plentiful choices of food and maybe an opportunity to reach out to someone else waiting in this line."

"I'll never have the longing of my heart fulfilled."    "Thanks, Lord, for allowing things to happen in Your timing, since You know better than I do!"

"Why does my husband have to annoy me today?"  "Help me, Lord, to bless my husband today."

"I HATE working out!"   "Isn't it great that my body is strong enough to move like this?"

You get the idea!  My grandma always told me, "There's something good in every situation.  Sometimes you have to look extra hard to find it, but it's there!"  My grandma was a very pleasant, content woman.  Just think of the stress and emotional baggage we can eliminate from our lives if we truly choose to look at the bright side of things.  That doesn't mean we'll never feel sadness, anger, hurt or other negative emotions.  If we decide to focus on gratitude for the good, though, the negative feelings are free to process their way through and out of us rather than hanging on, transforming into rancid bitterness and wreaking havoc on our physical bodies as well.

God is glorified when we thank Him from a sincere heart.  But, in His goodness, He has allowed gratitude to be beneficial to us as well.  Thinking gratefully, though, doesn't always come naturally.  We need God's help.  Frequent prayer and reading of Scripture verses on gratitude will help immensely!  But we also have to be willing to submit to God's work in our hearts--willing to let go of our irritations or grudges.  That's much easier said than done.  We can choose to do it anyway!

Let's practice gratitude, sisters! :)

Further Reading:

Psalm 92:1-2
1Thessalonians 5:15-18
Colossians 3:17

Choosing Gratitude:  Your Journey to Joy, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss