"Our fall was, has always been, and always will be, that we aren’t satisfied in God and what He gives. We hunger for something more, something other," writes Ann Voskamp in her book One Thousand Gifts. She continues, "How do I give up resentment for gratitude, gnawing anger for spilling joy? Self-focus for God-communion. To fully live—to live full of grace and joy and all that is beauty eternal…an emptier, fuller life...How did Jesus do it? He turned His eyes. ‘And looking up to heaven, he gave thanks...' (Matthew 14:19). He looked up to heaven, to see where this moment comes from. Always first the eyes, the focus.” Thus Ann begins her journey of intentionally giving thanks/counting graces "to keep her gaze fixed on God." As she "wrestles to name graces--- to see glory in the moment" she begins "the list. Not of gifts I want but of gifts I already have…I don’t even know they are gifts really until I write them down…Gifts He bestows…it is sort of like…unwrapping love...To name a thing is to manifest the meaning and value God gave it, to know it as coming from God…To name a thing, in other words, is to bless God for it and in it.” In her journey she learns that "...to give thanks is an action and rejoice is a verb and these are not mere pulsing emotions. While I may not always feel joy, God asks me to give thanks in all things, because He knows that the feeling of joy begins in the action of thanksgiving...I am mother-tired, but when my soul doth magnify, my time doth magnify...Every breath’s a battle between grudgery and gratitude and we must keep thanks on the lips so we can sip from the holy grail of joy.” Ann concludes, "A life contemplating the blessings of Christ becomes a life acting the love of Christ.”
Motivated by Ann's "dare to live fully right where you are, my gratitude journal is lying open on its permanent home on the counter, enumerating moments, making a ledger of His love.”
And making it even a sweeter experience--Anna is counting her own graces right alongside me! I love the accountability that God is already providing through my daughter--my sister in Christ!
“Bless the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits.” Psalm 68:19
1 comment:
This is precious, Becky.
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