Tuesday, December 27, 2011

A Heart Overflowing: Counting One Thousand Gifts (#235-251)

Learning to count is one of the many things we hope to teach our young.  Often it is a painstaking endeavor, not just for us but for the child.  Many learned tasks are.  However, learning to count becomes one of the handiest tools in our bag of skills.  Counting money is almost essential.  For little ones, counting on their fingers becomes a game.  As we get older, we'd like to stop counting the years that add up!

Counting gifts almost sounds like something we shouldn't be doing, as it might imply competition on special days like Christmas and birthdays.  Or it could mean we're checking to make sure we got everything we think we deserved and a number will define that for us.

However, counting gifts has an entirely different meaning for the child of God.  God blesses us with so many gifts -- a new day, blue skies, rain for the fields, snow for winter activities, food to eat, water to drink, and so much more, even more than some of our brothers and sisters in other countries will ever have.  Let me share some of my recent gifts:

235.  Christmas letters from friends who live far away.
236.  Joyful sounds of Christmas music.
237.  Good call with Jim and Helen.
238.  Caregiving and loving husband.
239.  Winter solstice and sunlight peeking in at the windows.
240.  Positive follow-up visit with surgeon.
241.  Celebrating Christmas with family.
242.  Playing with great-granddaughter Kylie as she opened presents.
243.  Meeting and holding new great-grandson Everett.
244.  Meeting grandson's girlfriend for the first time.
245.  Gift of Christmas Eve and a beautiful church service.
246.  The manger.
247.  Worship on Christmas morning.
248.  The quiet of Christmas afternoon.
249.  Tiny ray of sunlight on a gray day.
250.  Calls to family members across the country.
251.  Gift of the Christ Child.

I hope someday soon you'll begin counting One Thousand Gifts with us.  Just visit Ann Voskamp's site, A Holy Experience, to learn more.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Sherrey:

    I haven't posted my 1000 gifts in a while, but plan to return to it soon. I hope you and your family have a wonderful and blessed new year.

    ReplyDelete
  2. 249 ...

    I like how you see. In slivers of hope and light.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tania, yes, holding a newborn is so renewing -- new life, another birth, a new generation -- how could we not believe in God, who gave us His Son? Thanks for stopping by!

    Joan, I've missed your posts over at Ann's. Look forward to seeing you back. Happy New Year to you and yours!

    Jennifer, I like how you commented on my tiny ray of light -- in slivers of hope and light. Thanks for stopping by and come again!

    Happy 2012 to all of you, and may God bless your year richly.

    ReplyDelete

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