1000 Gifts of Thanks!
Gift after gift, I want to write them down...
In all our many renovations that have been going on since moving into the lake house, we haven't completely 'unpacked' all of our boxes yet. Every week more boxes come from the workshop into the house and get unpacked, and last week some of my special books were found. I have always loved to read, but after I had my third child, for some reason I just had a little less time ;) that's when I found and ordered the book 1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It had been recommended to me by a few friends and I decided to get the devotional book because it was just a few pages to read every day, and I knew I could probably keep up with that. 1000 Gifts turned out to be one of my favourite books, and to date I think I've read through it 3 or 4 times now! Last Spring I decided to actually follow what the book asks you to do, and that is to write down 1000 tangible things of thanks and gratefulness. Yes to write down 1000 specific and named gifts that God has given to you. Now it doesn't ask that you write all 1000 in one day, one month or even one year, but the idea was to have a journal out that you can fill with your 'gifts' every single day.
After reading through the book and seeing how this process of thanks which Ann calls 'eucharisteo' has brought her closer to Christ, I felt compelled and convicted in my heart to do the same. So I started my 1000 gifts journal! At first I was really good at remembering to write in it, and then after the first month I wrote in it a little less. I went through these 'spurts' of writing in it every day and then slowing down again, but I always came back to it. Some days I wrote 20 things and some days I only wrote 2 things, but there was ALWAYS something to write. I was at 273 'gifts', Then I packed the journal away when we moved (looking back I really should have just kept it out with my bible!) and just found it again this week!
Firstly it was SO wonderful to read back through all of my gifts of thanks that I had already written. It was a blessing to see all of those gifts written on paper, one after another! Second, I realized how much I wished I had kept it out during our move, and first months at the lake house. Alas, instead of regretting what could have been, I picked up a pen, and started writing in it again that day. My goal when I started last spring was to get to 1000 things, and that is still my goal. I keep it by my bed and bible and I like to write in it at the end of the day. After the kids have gone to bed and I can have some quiet time and reflect on the day. One gift after another, the Lord has given us SO much to give Him all the thanks and praise for. Sometimes it's big things, like answers to prayers that we have been praying for for years, and sometimes it's something more small, like the way the sunlight is pouring in to your window as you wash the dishes. All of these things big and small deserve His thanks, and in doing so you will be drawn closer to Him and learn more about Him and His love for us, his dear children. If you don't already have the book I encourage you to go on Amazon.ca and pick up the 1000 gifts book (you can get them lightly used for a good price!) and to begin your journal of thanks! I picked up my journal at Winners for about 5 dollars. We can do it together and keep each other accountable :) there are so many gifts from the Lord in each day, and I pray that He would open our eyes to see them and that we would take the time to acknowledge them and give Him all the thanks and praise!
I'll check in again soon and let you know how the journal is coming! I Hope you all have a great week :)
Love Always,
Shelley