I’m trying hard not to get stressed out today, even though I’m feeling a bit like the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.
You see, Ann Voskamp wrote her first post about 1000 gifts in November of 2006. Others joined her in the journey years ago. She’s written an amazing book (affiliate link) now in it’s third printing in just two weeks, and now I feel like I’m coming to the party well past fashionably late.
But can we really ever be too late to count gifts of grace?
So I’m taking the dare. You can too, if you haven’t already. If you decide to, please let me know so I can read about your gifts as well!
My 1000 Gifts List
I started my list last week and I’ve averaged three per day. I’m not sure I’ll share all of them each week, but for now, here goes:
- splash of red as red-headed wookpecker lands on tree branch in woods bare and brown-gray
- crunch of dog paws returning down the hillside after wild deer chase
- sight of icy white clinging to creek edges (uncommon to this Georgia-born girl)
- sigh of relief at completing a long overdue task
- smell of brownies, warm out of the oven
- purple ostrich features that plump up from heat of blow dryer and wipe dusty surfaces
- snowflakes the size of golfballs, falling steady
- an unexpected phone call from a friend I’ve been missing and a conversation about wind-movement of the Spirit
- two dinners nearly prepared before Peter is even home from work
- boy singing high and loud, “light the candle all around the world. My Redeemer lives.”
- snow day without snow and being able to drive and hang out with a 14 year old girl who still likes being with mom
- making oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with an almost teenage boy and hearing his ideas for a futuristic racing story
- her voice on the phone, talking of new pens, kneading bread, making jam and quoting from Psalm 106
- new jars of peanut butter, being the first to dig in, and the deep cleansing breath that follows
- seeing ideas come to life thanks to the talent and work of a teenager willing to edit a picture and turn it into a graphic
- the feeling of being home when surrounded by church family
- John Proffitt bear hugs
- steam arising from Peter’s Tim Horton’s coffee mug
- 50 degree days in late January
- candlelight dinners and “Go Fish” with an almost 13 year old boy
- seeing a daughter off to a retreat where she’ll pray for peers to come to know Jesus
- an encouraging phone call from a sister, with words of breakthrough
- a well-tiemd word of Scripture to a friend in need of God’s truth regarding her ministry and purpose
- joking with kids about stepping in number 2
- middle school boys who drum on every imaginable surface
- a rough morning with a cranky sick girl, that ended well thanks to words from Dad and a peanut butter bagel
- freshly iron pillow cases
What about you?
What gifts do you count today?
