I recently started reading the book “One Thousand Gifts Devotional – Reflections on Finding Everyday Graces” by Ann Voskamp. The book was produced out of a challenge Ann took to write a list of 1000 different gifts God had given her. She took the challenge, and realized not too long after that focusing on the gifts and ways God showed her grace actually changed her life, and made her much more full and joyful.

In her devotional book, Ann encourages her readers to start by praying a simple prayer, asking God to open the eyes of their heart. The next step she talks about is receiving what God shows them, whether it seems small and hidden or big and significant. Lastly, she says to praise God for the gifts and graces they recognize and receive.

During the first devotional, Ann quotes Leviticus 7:11-13 (ESV) saying,

And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings that one may offer to the Lord. If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the thanksgiving sacrifice unleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and loaves of fine flour well mixed with oil. With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving he shall bring his offering with loaves of leavened bread.

She goes on to speak about this passage, and dissects it when it comes to recognizing God’s gifts and graces. She says,

The first were like crackers. The second like wafers. These were known for their thinness. This was the order of thanks. The thanks began for the thin things, the wafer things that almost weren’t, and the way the people of God give thanks is first to give thanks for even the meager and unlikely. 

I like that Ann highlights the importance of recognizing even the small things that don’t seem like much in our lives. God blesses us and shows His grace to us in small ways, but these things should not be overlooked. When you look at it from the perspective of God being Holy and the King, and us being imperfect people who have done nothing to deserve anything from God, even those small things become significant and amazing.

Ann goes on to say,

Then it came, thanks for the leavened bread. Why would leaven, yeast – that which is seen in Scripture as impure, unwanted – why would leaven be included as part of the thanks offering? Authentic thanks is always for all things, because our God is a God kneading all things into a bread that sustains. Paul gave “glory in tribulations” (Romans 5:3 KJV) and took “pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake” (2 Corinthians 12:10 KJV), and he knew that which didn’t look like anything good might yield good, all in the hand of a good God.

Ann finishes by saying,

To bring the sacrifice of thanksgiving means to sacrifice our understanding of what is beneficial and thank God for everything because He is benevolent. A sacrifice of thanks lays down our perspective and raises hands in praise anyways – always. A sacrifice is, by definition, not an easy thing – but it is a sacred thing.

I love what she writes here.

I’ve never thought about it from this perspective before, of thanking God for everything, even the painful and confusing, because He is a good God who uses everything to shape and make us who we are. Yes, I’ve heard people talk about thanking God for the painful parts of life, but never in the sense that it’s okay for us to hurt when we are thanking Him, because it is a sacrifice. I love this perspective.

So, why am I sharing all of this with you?

Well, I say all of these things because I have decided to challenge myself to recognize 3 ways God has shown His grace to me per day. If I do this, I will have compiled a list of 1000 gifts in one year. However, I also decided to take this challenge and go on this journey with all of you, instead of just doing it on my own.

I thought I would start today, by sharing three ways I see God showing His grace to me right now.

1. The sensitivity, love, compassion, and selflessness in my parents. I think sometimes it is easy for me to forget how truly blessed I am to have the parents I have. A lot of people have different experiences when it comes to family and their parents, and I can honestly say God blessed me by giving me the parents I have. I did nothing to deserve such loving and involved parents, but God, by His grace, blessed me with them. I am so, so grateful.
2. A job that I love, that brings me joy, and that I feel comfortable at. I absolutely love the environment I work in, the people I work with, and what I do at work. I know, without a doubt, that God blessed me with this job specifically. Thank You, Jesus!
3. Prayer and God’s presence. I am so extremely thankful for the ability we have to communicate with God, that He actually hears us and speaks back to us, and that through prayer we can be brought into the presence and fullness of God. He is so, so good.

I would encourage you to take this challenge with me, and see how it gives you a whole new perspective, and brings you more fulfillment and joy. Who knows, it could change your life.