One Thousand Gifts

I recently started reading Ann Voskamp's book "One Thousand Gifts" after reading about her book on a number of friend's blogs. I am not quick to jump on a bandwagon. I didn't start reading the Twilight series until all four books were already on the bookshelf at Target. But there are a few books I have read in the last few years that I think have been game changers for me, books that broke new ground and changed the way I view life. This is one of those books.

For me the moment came in Chapter 1 when Ann writes,

"Ultimately, in his essence, Satan is an ingrate. And he sinks his venom into the heart of Eden. Satan's sin becomes the first sin of all humanity: the sin of ingratitude. Adam and Eve are, simply, painfully, ungrateful for what God gave.

Isn't that the catalyst of all my sins?

Our fall was, has always been, and always will be, that we aren't satisfied in God and what He gives. We hunger for something more, something other."

I had never thought of original sin in that way, as an act of ingratitude. Adam and Eve were in a garden full of good things to eat. They had ALL they needed. They had more than they needed. They did not need to eat of the tree of knowledge. But they did. They did exactly that which God had told them not to do. They sinned.

I look around my life and I am so incredibly blessed. I have what most people in this world would call enough. And yet, I struggle with wanting more...
more love...
more purpose...
more comfort...
more reassurance...
more acceptance...

My eyes focus on the something more, something other and lead me away from the life and blessings God has given me.

This book challenged the author and now me the reader to make a list of a thousand ordinary gifts within her days.

So today I will start my list.

1. A God who loves ME
2. grace that sets me free
3. a warm cup of coffee
4. time to sit and be
5. time to write
6. a husband who loves me enough to send me away for the weekend
7. finding the song my son wants to hear but can't tell me the name
8. a place to keep this list

This is my first post as part of Ann Voskamp's Multitudes on Monday. Head on over there to see what other's are thankful for this week.