Voskamp’s book is based on the word eucharisteo, which comes from the root word charis, meaning grace and also chara, meaning joy. We find it where Jesus takes the bread and knew it to be a gift and gave thanks. “Deep chara joy is found only at the table of the euCHARisteo – the table of thanksgiving.” She is then challenged by a friend to count to one thousand gifts of things she loves. And out of that challenge a book is written and a new but really old concept is passed on to others.
As I read the book, the concept of eucharisteo began to resonate deeply within me. I have been seeing all the ugly and none of the beautiful. The year and a half that we have lived in Madison have not been easy on me to say the least. I have resented living here for most of the time but have been able to find some good things about living here too. For instance, the opportunity to be able to completely pay Andrew’s school bill while taking a fully paid trip to Ireland, and also being able to fly to Washington to visit family and also to fly home for a couple weekends a year was not what we expected to do when we moved here. Plus, we do live outside one of the most famous cities in the world and all we have to do is hop on a train and we are there in an hour exploring all of its exciting places! So, there has been some beautiful in the sea of ugly.
Of course, part of this has been me only wanting to see the ugly around me and not see the beautiful, small things that come into my life each and every day. I seem to think in my life that if I could live in my own house instead of an apartment, or have a baby, or live close to home, that I would be happy. Instead, I need to be content where I am right now. I jumped into counting the small gifts at the end of December and I can already see the effect of it. I am happier, I am looking for joy in the small things, and I am beginning to appreciate the ugly-beautiful more.
Voskamp wrote, “’Wherever you are, be all there’ is only possible in the posture of eucharisteo. I want to slow down and taste life, give thanks, and see God.” This is what I want for my life. I want to appreciate each day that I am given and live it to its fullest.
{Counting One Thousand Gifts – 1 to 41}
1. walks on sunny days in winter
2. warm blankets straight from the dryer
3. special wink from my love
4. pink tulips blooming
5. cappuccinos
6. breakfast in bed on a lazy Saturday morning
7. twinkly Christmas lights
8. girls giggling over secrets in the tub
9. fingers typing in the quiet of a Sunday night
10. the heater ticking as it warms our apartment
11. my love putting jelly-bellys in my hand
12. texts from Beka
In January we met my parents and my siblings in St. Thomas for a weeklong vacation. We had rented the house and purchased our tickets back in June and had eagerly awaited our trip for so long! Getting to St. Thomas was a bit of a challenged for all of us. Andrew and I got up super early on a Tuesday morning and had a taxi drop us off at the airport. After boarding our first plane we found out that it had a leak in the baggage compartment. Two hours later we were on our way. We were so thankful when our wheels finally touched down on the tarmac in St. Thomas! Meanwhile, the rest of my family was having their own delays in Atlanta. Their flight from Atlanta to San Juan didn’t have a crew scheduled and that made their plane take off late, which caused them to miss their flight from San Juan to St. Thomas. Long story short, four of them had to spend the night in San Juan and two of them were able to fly into St. Thomas late the first evening!
We had thought we would be able to spend the evening of the first day together but our plans drastically changed. We were so thankful when everyone made it to St. Thomas safe and sound. We celebrated with a French toast breakfast and a trip to our first beach!
It was a wonderful week of snorkeling, swimming, being tossed about in the waves, eating, drinking Bushwackers, touring Charlotte Amalie and St. John, spending precious time with family, long conversations, grilling on the deck, playing cards, savoring wine, stopping by the grocery store every day we were there, soaking up the sun, and just being still! I was in desperate need of some sunshine and came back rested and relaxed!
13. sunshine
14. white beaches
15. blue-green water
16. coral
17. waves crashing on shore
18. coffee on the deck
19. sailboats
20. Bushwacker
21. tiny hand reaching out waiting for the wave to come to shore
22. pelicans diving from high in the sky
23. sun kissing the ocean floor
24. snorkeling with Mom and Dad
25. multi-colored fish
26. all 8 of us crammed in a car made for 5!
27. business meetings in clear blue-green water
28. long conversations on the deck in the light of a full moon
29. dinner at sunset
30. white sand under the stars
31. palm trees waving in the breeze
32. hugs at the airport
33. praying as the plane heads toward the runway
34. huge puffy clouds floating by the house
35. Sophia ~ cancer free
36. large heads instead of cancer
37. learning to say “yes”
38. smell of suncreen wafting through the air
39. the color of Larimar
40. airplane wheels touching the tarmac
41. smooth straight roads
1 comments:
Enjoyed reading this, Hannah! I think it is pretty fantastic that you and Andrew have been able to enjoy the traveling and experiences that you have, at this stage in your life. We enjoy the pictures you share. Beautiful.
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