1000 Gifts & Counting

Last year about this time I read 1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp.    In this book, she gives the challenge to record 1000 reasons to be thankful.  Last Friday, I recorded my 1000th gift.

As I reviewed my list, I found physical gifts, spiritual gifts, momentary gifts & long lasting gifts.  Some gifts - like coffee & my husband are repeated.   Some gifts, I would NEVER want repeated. My son surviving a bad car wreck would be one of them.  Being at my father in law's side as he went to the Father would be another.   And yet, all of these things - even the hard ones, were & are gifts from my loving Father.

Something else happened as I reviewed my list.  I was aware that I am indeed living an abundant life.  Perhaps not in the realm of physical abundance - but a life full of God's blessings.  This - an abundant life - even though I know that my meager list of 1000 gifts is but a sampling of all the Good Lord has given me.  This is reason enough to keep looking, keep counting, keep recording, keep naming the gifts.  Perhaps it is in this naming that we truly receive the gifts that of dear Father gives.