Day 47

I am grateful for the book, One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp.

My daughter-in-law has a blog where I first heard of this book. She's a voracious reader, and her recommendations carry a lot of weight. She included a link to the author's blog, which is lovely and looks like she pours her whole heart into it. The photography alone is beautiful.

I checked out the audio book and was gripped on the first page. Her use of language is like fine choreography--fluid, dramatic, poignant, enchanting. She gets in my head and nails thoughts I didn't have words for until she spoke them into awareness.

Her challenge to list 1,000 gifts you've been given by God was one impetus for this blog. For what and whom am I thankful? Have I thanked the Giver? There are the obvious things like my family, friends, and good memories. But that thing that happened that made me wither and hush--there's a gift in it. The time that woman screamed at me a foot from my face and spat the words, "Stupid woman!"--there was a gift there. The day Kev's cousin called us the most selfish people he'd ever known--a gift lay in it. There always is. He can't not be Gifter.

I have too often overlooked how terribly good He is. I thought I'd made an inroad the day I realized that there is not one person in the world with whom I would trade places. Sadly, I am a forgetting creature, and I have waved a hand at my rich life and said by that, "I want more." I will know victory over this though. I know that's why this blog exists. A part of me wholly believes He has plans to prosper me, to give me hope and a future, even when things appear far different to my narrow human eye. With the eye of faith I set my sights, and we do this thing Together.

Thank You, Lord, for the faith to believe, for the open eyes that follow, and for this dear book.