Feeling Gratitude

Recently I've been reading a book called One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp. I'm not sure if I recommend it yet or not. The book is written in a poetic style that's hard to read, so I've been doing a lot of skimming and I'm not done yet, but I like the idea of feeling gratitude all the time and finding joy in all aspects of your life.

The author found herself being very unhappy with her life, for various reasons, until one night she had a very vivid dream in which she was diagnosed with cancer throughout her body and was told she would die shortly. The nightmare wasn't true but it was a pivotal moment for her because she realized that someday she would die, as we all will. Her question was "Which road through this brief land? What is all most important? How to live the fullest life here that delivers into the full life ever after?...How do we live fully so we are fully ready to die?" (p. 28-29) She thinks about those bucket lists people have and lists like "1000 Places to See Before You Die." But she asks if we can't recognize beauty and joy in the everyday life we all live. She decides that the key to this is Eucharisteo which means, essentially, thanksgiving. She realizes that she has missed the commandment in the scriptures to be grateful.

So the big question is how do I live with thanksgiving in every part of my life? How do I feel thanksgiving when the children aren't cooperating and the baby is sick and coughing up a storm and there's dinner to be made and it's already late and the laundry isn't done... This morning I wasn't feeling very thankful after a poor night's sleep and endless coughing from my youngest and a husband out of town. But I want to. I want to recognize my blessings even in the challenges and the moments of frustration.

The author decided to make a list of 1000 things she was thankful for. She put things like "243. Clean sheets smelling like wind, 244. Hot oatmeal tasting like home, 245. Bare toes in early light." (p. 55) Making it tangible, always looking for something to add to her list helped her be thankful. Her relatives noticed that it changed her and made her happier. Don't we all want that?

So I've started making a list too. Every night I write 5 things I'm thankful for from that day, in my journal. I'm not thinking about it as much during the day as I would like to be, but so far it has been pretty easy. I haven't had to stretch much to come up with things. It's probably a journey of a lifetime, but I'm hopeful that I can become completely grateful with my life.

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