I was reading a dear friends blog. Kari’s blog is in my “must read” folder on my reader, that is overflowing with too much too read, so that I don’t miss a post.
For this I’m so thankful for. For the other day she was writing about a book she was reading, One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.
For some reason I was thinking it was a devotional. Some reason I felt like I needed a devotional even though bible study was starting in only a week or so. But the way my friend described the book pulled me in and I quickly added it to my kindle wishlist and as soon as TJ came home I asked if I could buy it.
I was surprised to find that it was more of an autobiography, but her prose pulled me in quickly. When I figured out the meaning behind the title I wanted to know more. I wanted to know how she did it. I wanted to count my own gifts. I wanted her experience of seeing the world in a new light.
Then I started to count my gifts and my heart lightened and my world brightened.
Driving home from a job that is hard on my soul my eyes opened up. I looked out beyond the highway and saw the scattering of dark clouds that threatened rain and I thanked God for them. I thanked Him for the beauty of the sun rays that seeped through the cracks between those clouds. I found myself being filled with His love and His beauty and my heart was no longer heavy from the day.
I want to share my list with you, though I’m not sure how I will do this yet. If I will do as Kari is doing and post my list every weekend. I thought this would be a wonderful meme, but meme’s are so hard to build. I have also thought that creating blessings in images would be beautiful and even have started counting some of my blessings on my pinterest.com.
I stopped, I don’t know why, too busy to take a pause that is so important. But I’m starting over, I’ve been slowly adding it in and today I will share with you my gifts.
- Waking in the middle of the night to rock my baby who had a bad dream
- The feeling of his weight draped on me
- Hearing him suck his thumb as he snuggles back into his blankets, he only needed a few minutes of love
- Watching the light start seeping through the blinds as the morning dawned
- A new day
- Listening to the shower as my husband gets ready for his day
- Being awake enough to say good bye to him
- A little more sleep
- Little boys who climb into my bed to snuggle
- Listening to battle hymns being song by my little boy
- Finding forgotten grapes in the bottom of the fridge
- Little toddler “ank ooos”
- Peanut Butter Sandwiches
- Crossing things off my to do list
- Listening to a toddler try singing with no words
- A wonderful husband that lets me sneak out of the house for a little while to go thrift shopping after bedtime
God fills our lives with amazing little gifts that we forget to stop and thank him for, but I am going to take the time to pause and enjoy these moments, to count each one.
This summer we may be doing a book club at my church, maybe I will try and do a book club here also. Maybe I will do a dare to see who can count to a thousand with me. I’m not sure but I know that this book was an amazing life changer for me, so I hope you will read it!
What are some of the gifts you received today?
Lynda (from Daily Window) and I are not going to be putting up the linky anymore, but still want to invite you to participate in this project with us. I hope you will join us!
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