And I Write

I am reading a book by Ann Voskamp: “One

Thousand Gifts”. I am not even halfway

through and it has already touched my

heart. 

I went to my room and started looking around

and thinking about my own gifts from God. 

The sound of the fan whirring over my head in

my room, the game of chase that our sweet

little Chihuahua plays with us, and a blessing

 of a car that has a speedometer that works

 “sometimes”.

Then I look at pictures that hold precious moments

in my life. The picture of my first grandson Fischer

when he was a baby. Two pictures: one of his mother

holding him and one of his daddy. Both mom and dad

 are looking at him so tenderly.

I see a picture of my other son and his wife. He is

holding my first granddaughter.  She is wearing a

onesie that has the logo of his favorite football team.

Then there is the picture of my daughter with two

dogs: Pocket and Rocket. Precious memories.

In just a few short minutes I wrote down thirteen

gifts. I am so excited to think of writing down the

day to day gifts that God has blessed me with and

to see all the ways that He loves me.

I also reflect on a verse in the bible: I Thessalonians

5:17-18 pray without ceasing; in everything give

thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

As I think about this I know that I also need to look

 back on  my life and think of those moments

which were frightening or sad. I need to think of those

as gifts because God saw me through those times. He

brought me out of the stormy times into times of

rainbow and sunshine.

I hope that I am able to write more about this journey

and all the gifts. I am sure like Ann Voskamp that I can

come up with One Thousand at least. I hope you can

also start thinking of God’s gifts each day. Maybe a

rainy day won’t seem like a blah day or a day full of

stress will be seen from a different perspective.

One Thousand Gifts:  start your counting.

Judy Wood