A Book and A Hope …
“How do I fully live when life is full of hurt?”
Are you down today? Perhaps grief and loss have derailed you and you are finding it hard to get back to a standing position, let alone getting any forward motion. Maybe some other disappointment has temporarily sucked the air out of you and you are trying to find some way to come back.
I can say with certainty “I have been there.” I am still right there some days. Having lost my soul mate and life partner 16 months ago, I still find I must make my way through my days often in dark places. This book has helped me more than any other, outside of scripture, to see the way to a better place, and yes, to find joy!
The book is the New York Times Bestseller: One Thousand Gifts by Anne Voskamp (click here to view her website). Anne had dealt with unresolved grief and pain since childhood. She vowed to try to come to healing and understanding, to find what was missing. What was missing was joy.
In simple terms, she discovered “eucharisteo“. What, pray tell is THAT?!? It is simply gratitude or giving thanks. The term came originally from the “Last Supper” when the Lord gave thanks, then blessed and served his disciples, knowing within hours what He was facing.
Over weeks and months, Ann committed, after a challenge from a friend, to find 1,000 gifts to be thankful for. Like what, you ask? …a butterfly that lights on the kitchen window sill, …the shimmering rainbow in a droplet of water on a washed glass in the drain board, …a son’s hand that still existed after a horrific accident and months of therapy.
The first words that grabbed my heart and made me pay attention were these: “Gratitude precedes the miracle.”
GRATITUDE PRECEDES THE MIRACLE … let that sink in.
Could it be so basic? Could it be that simply noticing the beautiful gifts around me could bring actual joy instead of this lingering sadness? Was I willing to challenge myself? I was inspired. What, really, did I have to lose, except this frozen ball of ice around me, which I hated, anyway?
I started. Walking across the parking lot at work I saw a red-tailed hawk swoop down in front of me, close to the roof. He was magnificent! He left, then soared back close to let me see his beauty before he climbed above the slope and dive-bombed to his prey somewhere above me. #1: Red Tailed Hawk show, just for me.
Email from a friend: “My long-term soul mate has cancer. I have decided to marry him and really walk this walk with him. Seeing your strength and courage with Lou, has given me the belief I too can do this. “ #2: Thank you God for Lou’s cancer and that my open sharing gave courage to my friend.
A new friend’s son is walking a dangerous path, self-destructive, heart-breaking, with some new pain every day. Gratitude precedes the miracle, I tell her, as we pray. She focuses on that one thing for two weeks. Good things begin to happen, tiny positive changes.
A good friend’s daughter has breast cancer. We visit and talk about gratitude. She shares how she finds 5 things to be thankful for every day. She thinks she must be the happiest person with cancer ever. Could it be a result of her gratitude?
At lunch with my boss and friend, he said carefully and with great purpose at the finish, “You are finally back! I have watched your sad journey and have waited for the day when I could say this: The spark of life is back in your eyes and in your voice and in your outlook.” #76: Someone has seen life in my eyes, hope in my heart.
Is it possibly true? Can simple gratitude change a life of sorrow back to a life of light and hope and sometimes even joy? Part of mine was needing to see some good purpose, even in the pain.
I am well on my way to my own 1,000 gifts. Actually, I don’t intend to stop there. If the first 1,000 can help this much, why would I ever stop?
|| what do you think?
Can you relate?
Can an attitude actually be the start of a miracle?
Please share your thoughts.
31 Comments
Anne,
What a great reminder for us that gratitude does do us good, like you said, you had nothing to lose by being grateful for these things. I know that gratitude help us to focus on the little things that brighten our day, and the more we focus on the good, the more good will come about. It is always getting to that point, though, where you can make yourself come out of that darkness by recognizing the good parts of life, that is the most difficult. Once you have that, you’re good to go, little by little the miracles start coming. Thank you for this blog!
Shasta,
You said it perfectly. You already have a “knowing” of how this works. The more we look, the more we see. One of the blessings in all of our work days is your beautiful smile. Everyone is thankful for it. I know you can’t always feel it deep inside, but you always give it anyway. I love you for that.
Anne
Hi Anne! I miss you, I am so happy to hear of your new found outlook, it sounds amazing and I am going to have to give it a try myself. When I am in a self pitying mood I tend to think of all the bad things going on in the world and sort of shame myself out of feeling sorry for myself but I think your tactic sounds a lot healthier. Instead of finding things that are worse off I need to simply appreciate the beautiful things that my hard times are keeping me from seeing. I still love checking out the blog once in a while and I am glad I saw this. Take care <3
Jenn,
How I miss you, too. Are you enjoying the new job? I am sure they are happy to have you. We are sorry we don’t.
…Like when I wouldn’t clean my plate as a child, I was told to think of all the hungry children in the world who would gladly eat what I was thumbing my nose at. It never worked for me. Delight over the beauty of life resonated with my spirit. It was in there somewhere already and I just needed permission to let it out again.
Come by some time when I am here.
Hugs,
Anne
Dear Anne, how beautiful this is! You have an amazing way of lifting up others, even while deep in your own despair. This advice is priceless & I can see how healing it is to follow it. Thank you for sharing this with us & for being the perfect example for us to look to. I do look for the small things to be grateful for & people often say that they would have never even thought to notice or see what I do. After reading this blog, I will look for even more gratitude opportunities- even in the bad moments. Thank you so much! I love you. Carrie
Carrie,
Thank you! …even in the bad moments! I find especially in the bad moments, when I spot some reason for thankfulness, it changes things very quickly. There is so-o-o-o much we have no control over. The only thing we can often control at those times is our feelings and our attitudes. Thank God for the choice that is totally ours.
Love you,
Anne
Anne,
What a remarkable story. I enjoy how you share this journey so freely, allowing us to walk with you and beside you. I find comfort and a new light with my own journey.
I will have to look into purchasing this book. I believe it will be a great help for my mother and myself.
Amy
Amy,
Thank you! I wish I could write like Ann. If you decide to devour this book, you will see, really see, why I had to do this. I am learning again to see the good even in what at first seems bad or disappointing. There are abounding blessings, or can be, in every situation, every relationship, everything we attempt.
Hope your mom likes it, too. Give her a hug from me.
Anne
Thanks Anne for sharing , yes acts of gratitude are very important to change a look at life differently . I always look at something to be grateful for everyday and to stop and smell the roses to change my point of view. Thanks so much again for sharing I look forward to your blogs they inspire me and add to my life.
sincerely Joe Lavoie
Hi Joe,
Glad I inspire you once in awhile. I know a lot of people look to you for comfort, and a lot of family looks to you for support and care. It’s so good to stop and replenish your reservoir to draw from. Gratitude for the gifts around you is a great way to accomplish that.
I am thankful you are in my life.
Anne