Back in May I read Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts.
The basic message of the book was to promote a lifestyle of giving thanks. Voskamp picked up on an idea of actually writing down the things she was thankful for each day. It sounded simple enough.
So, on May 27 I began my own journal.
I sort of cheated a bit by starting with things that had already happened or looking back on things I was already thankful for: Like my home, my laptop, ability to cook, each of my siblings, other relatives, things I like to eat, my neighbors, my home church.
On July 1st I recorded the 1,000th thing I was thankful for, which was: I have no reason to be anxious, God is for me and nothing can separate me from God's love!
Along the way I had written down some very simple, every day stuff. For instance, I was thankful for:
. seeing a woodpecker going after ants with its beak
. having the plumber take off $150 from the bill to install a new sink
. my book-signing at Battle Creek Books being a sellout
. painting the window trim in my bedroom (finally)
. shooting hoops (basketball) at a new hoop site
. having breakfast with a friend who reminded me that those who trust in God are provided for
. Buddy my cat successfully having radioactive iodine treatment for hyperthyroid condition
. volunteering with kids at Peace House, a community of two households that lives and ministers in a low-income neighborhood in my hometown
. completing another season of teaching kids' church (Sunday school)
. seeing hummingbirds out my front window with my two cats
. having a best friend from grade school create and install a patio for me
. morning dew on the ornamental grass in the backyard
. peace of the evening
You get the idea.
None of these things was, in and of itself, particularly noteworthy. But the simple addition of these things has been mind altering.
Last night, August 31, I wrote down my 1,365th thing that I was thankful for. It was looking forward to having coffee with a friend I'd made by taking a Spiritual Direction group class earlier this year.
Here's a few other things I was thankful for yesterday:
No. 1357 - texted a friend a Happy Birthday greeting
No. 1359 - a family in my home church stepped up to pay another family's utility bill so their power would be turned back on that day
No. 1363 - realizing I'm under God's wings, 100% protected.
Voskamp mentions in her book that when we are thanking God for things, it triggers joy and increases our sensitivity to the world around us. We don't deny the pain and suffering, but the joy becomes a decision, a response to the goodness around us. It helps us keep our focus on God. This is not a "pie in the sky" sort of dreamland that we're entering by doing this, but rather a conscious decision to stay close to the heart of our Creator.
It's a very courageous act.
Thank You Ann Voskamp for offering this prototype of thanks! (By the way, that's her photo at the top of this post).
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