A friend suggested a great read... one that inspires gratitude. I'm barely into chapter 3 and already "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp causes me to stop and think. What makes me smile and fills me with gratitude? Sometimes you don't even notice the attitude of gratefulness... Then you stop and think. I am inspire by my friend Blair and now by author Ann Voskamp to take a few moments throughout my day to pause and think about the things that I am grateful for.
Voskamp refers to Luke 22:19 "And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them..." The word EUCHARISTEO is "he gave thanks" in the original lanuage. "The root word of eucharisteo is charis, meaning 'grace.' Jesus took the bread and saw it as a grace and gave thanks... Eucharisteo, thanksgiving, envelopes the Greek word for grace, charis. But it also holds its derivative, the Greek work chara, meaning 'joy.'" So we have Charis, Grace. Eucharisteo, Thanksgiving. and Chara, Joy. The essence of gratitude.
Chapter 3 starts with a quote from Sarah Ben Breathnach, "Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter every day epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world." I had to read it several times for it to really sink it, and yet I still have to stop and think. I decided to break it down a bit more. Reverence, a feeling of profound respect for someone or something. Epiphany, a divine revelation. Transcendent, exceeding or surpassing usual limits. Breaking down the words really brings to light the depth of this statement. Maybe I'm reading into it too much, but I really wanted to understand why Voskamp chose this quote for this chapter. Chapter 3 begins to break down "the list." The list is a Gift List. "Not of gift I want but gifts I already have."
I'm inspired as I read the beginnings of her list (eventually to reach 1000)... simple. God's gifts to us aren't necessarily complicated, not really. I love her second item. "2. Jam piled high on toast." What could get more simple than that? She writes this list to draw her back to deep communion with God. The thought of that... *sigh* Oh how I long to be there...
All this to say... I'm starting my list. I'm writing until I reach 1000.
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I love this. Haven't read the book yet but my mom told me about it. I plan to read it after I finish "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. I have a fun project in mind for the kids with this book!
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