Month: May 2014

Eucharisteo

 Photo: A wonderful day outdoors

The question was raised in my book study of One Thousand Gifts last week … of what is the point of listing small things that we are thankful for like the green leaves of spring.  I don’t remember who asked it, but I think she and others were wrestling with the larger question of how to be thankful in the midst of life’s larger trials and what relevance these small things had.  Why should we fill a list of 1000 things we are thankful for with seemingly insignificant things?  How can we be thankful for the hard things?

Eucharisteo – grace, joy, thanksgiving

As I pondered this, several things came to mind.
Thankfulness is a discipline.  Being thankful in the small things teaches us how to be thankful in all things.
Thankfulness is a habit – and habits take practice.
Noticing these seemingly small things, puts God in perspective and teaches us to reverence our Creator.
Noticing helps us to “be here now” to live fully.  It allows us to experience life in new ways.

I think that as we develop this discipline, we grow closer to being able to trust and thank God in all circumstances.

Being thankful brings us deeper into relationship with God.

I think God is delighted when we give thanks in big and small things.

As Maria sings in The Sound of Music:
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles with warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things


The picture is the view I enjoyed yesterday as I worked at our annual golf tournament.  

  • Thankful for a day outdoors
  • Thankful for good weather
  • Thankful for time to enjoy God’s beautiful creation
  • Thankful for the hawk overhead
  • Thankful for the sunshine and the breeze
  • Thankful for the people I met
  • Thankful for the team of people I work with
  • Thankful for filet mignon for dinner
  • Thankful for my health
  • Thankful for women on the journey studying together


#1000Gifts 

Feed My Soul

Thursday mornings I get up extra early.  I’m at the Deli by 7 a.m.  One by one, they straggle in, these friends of mine, church ladies.  I am one of the youngest.  We catch up, pray, study together and do life, sharing each other’s burdens and joys.  All within the space of one hour, once a week.  Charlene tried to express what this time meant to her this morning as we were getting ready to leave.  This group is a place to process life, to work out our faith, to talk about deep theological issues as well as how we deal with family situations. We try to make it practical and applicable.

It’s a lifeline really.  This thing called fellowship.  We are a small tribe, sometimes just two of us show up, other times as many as eight.  But we are deeply connected.  We ask about that grand-baby, or that situation at work, or the difficult pregnancy of our youngest, or the trip we are planning or just returned from.  We remember and are connected.  This connection feeds the soul.  We share pictures, text or email each other.  We see each other at church and sometimes at other gatherings.  Yet it is this sacred time and space on Thursday mornings at the deli that bonds us.  The waiter remembers what we like to drink and brings it when we arrive.  We order crispy bacon or oatmeal or a full breakfast, but it is not the food that nourishes us.