One Thousand Gifts

A dare to live fully right where you are.

A dare to live fully right where you are. The tag line on Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts. How glorious could it be to actually do that? I saw this book a few years ago and had heard a few things about it, so I bought it. Started it, but just could not get into it. One of my goals for 2015 was to read more, so one day I went to the bookshelf, picked it up, opened to where the bookmark was and started reading. I enjoyed it, not like last time, I dove in. I’m only five chapters in, but wanted to share what I’m learning so far.

One of the main points that Ann makes is the daily practice of the discipline of gratitude.

“Daily discipline is the door to full freedom, and the discipline to count to one thousand gave way to the freedom of wonder and I can’t imagine not staying awake to God in the moment, the joy of now.”

I am so quick to complain about the bad or annoying things (read: things that did not go Ashley’s way) that happened in a day but very rarely do I stop or dwell on the good things that happened in a day. The moments of joy. The moments I need to stop and dwell in, let those moments be the defining moments of my day, not the bad. Dwelling in the annoying, bad parts of the day is not going to help me live fully right where I am because I am going to want to be elsewhere.

I have started my own list of one thousand gifts, as a way to find grace, thanksgiving and joy in my days. And to help me live fully right where I am.

One day, as my list grows, I will share parts of my list and the things I see as gifts and the things the Lord open my eyes to as a gift.

Today’s gift was a sunny, warm spring day in the mix of cold, wet days.