image via onethousandgifts.com
A lot of folks have been talking about a book called One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp.
I didn’t read it for awhile.
For whatever reason, I am usually behind the times by a year or two on reading the latest craze books. Maybe I figure if they are really that good, people will still be talking about them a year later, at which time I will recall I’ve been meaning to read those books…
This is one of those books. My bookstore lady showed it to me many months ago, but the dust jacket didn’t intrigue me. Then a friend started referencing it a lot on Facebook. Then a different friend asked me if I’d read it because her mom loved it so she was considering leading our small group through it… the friend, not the friend’s mom.
Sigh.
(I took about 30 seconds thinking of a clearer way to write that last sentence, and it just never came to me.)
Moving on.
After God put that book in front of me at least three different times, I decided I’d look into it some more.
(Is God like that with you? He is constantly repeating things to me three times in order to get my attention. It’s like the song says, three really is a magic number… Or maybe it has something to do with the Trinity… Oooooo…)
And so I’ve now read 3 chapters (3!).
The main question Ann is trying to answer: are gratitude and joy inextricably linked? Does more thankfulness yield greater joy and fulfillment?
Even deeper, does greater thankfulness lead to greater intimacy and peace with God, no matter the circumstances?
As Ann rolled these thoughts around in her noggin, a friend challenged her to write out a list of one thousand things she was grateful for. As she began to record simple details of her day to day life for which she was thankful – a gentle breeze, an afternoon nap, etc – she began to feel more joyful.
And that’s as far as I’ve read.
The small group girls and I are penning our own lists of one thousand gifts. It’s a neat little experiment, and I’m interested to see how it does (or doesn’t) transform us.
Want to take the challenge with us?
Wow, that’s quite a challenge! I wonder how long it would take me to come up with a list of 1,000 gifts? I might just give it a try.
I perceive that your different friend has a beautiful mom and that you should probably do whatever it is she (the different friend or her beautiful mom) asks you to do, even as you have (not the beautiful mom but your different friend). And that would make me thankful and therefore more joyful. Hey, it works!!!
1,000 gifts?!
Phew.
That book, actually, has also been put in my path. I never stopped to read the description until I saw it at the library the other week…
I guess it’s time!
And I think I’ll join in the challenge!