Hitting One Thousand

It's been right at seven months, and I've hit 1,000. One thousand gifts, that is.

I haven't been good about posting each gift here. Part of that is heat-induced laziness, and part of that is intentional because some of the gifts are too personal and make sense only to me.

But even when I wasn't posting them, I was capturing them in my spiral. And more importantly, I was on the lookout for the gifts throughout my days. The discipline is now firmly ingrained in my daily routine.

And since I'm not up for retyping all the easy-to-understand gifts sans the too-personal gifts, I thought I'd post a list of what I've learned from this discipline:

1. Some days, gifts are easy to spot; some days, they aren't.
For whatever reason, I have an easier time spotting gifts when I do things outside my daily routine, like taking a trip or going to a new event. But without fail, I spot a few gifts every day.

2. I really like food.
More of my gifts revolve around food than I'd like to admit. I'm thinking that it had something to do with the fact that I had the chance to try a lot of new restaurants this summer. And in my dreams, I'm a restaurant reviewer.

3. My list of gifts has become a great place for jotting down and remembering answered prayers.
I love being able to capture God at work like this.

4. Waking without an alarm clock (i.e., getting to sleep in) came up as a gift about every weekend.
I realize that if I had children, this would be a rarity. And so I view it as a gift.

5. Messages from family and friends via mail, email, text, and phone are not taken for granted.
God often encourages me through my family and friends, and I treasure that.

6. I should never admit that I love numbers or was once good at math.
I looked back at the list a few months ago and caught this: 343, 345, 344, 345, 346. So, it's possible that I hit 1,000 a long time ago and just have it misnumbered.

7. I still need to work on viewing the hard times as eucharisteo and giving thanks and capturing it among my gifts.

I'm already working on my next 1,000 gifts and hope you are continuing on this journey or will start if you haven't already.

My Comforter

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4 (NIV)


In the midst of grieving Annie's loss, I have said over and over, "God is amazing!" And I've meant it. He has been my Comforter in so many ways over the past several weeks.

Every day since Annie's death, God has used people in my life to shower me with His love. I have received countless texts, phone calls, emails, comments on her tribute, and cards that have been a balm for my hurting heart. And then, on top of all those comforting words from precious friends, He provided good gifts: dinner brought to me, beautiful plants, a tree planted in Annie's honor, dinner at a friend's house, memorials made in Annie's honor, the book Dog Heaven, a painting, a cross, a box of new clothes (to make up for those I returned to pay for part of Annie's medical bills), and a dog ornament.















Even today, more than two weeks later, two friends came up to me at church to comfort me on Annie's loss.

I share these things as an example of how God has shown me His presence steadily in such tangible ways. In every way, these gifts have not been about me or anything I've done; they've been grace gifts. I have been humbled by them and have been reminded that God has surrounded me with the most thoughtful friends, who teach me daily about what it looks like to love others well.

Father God, You alone are my Comforter. Thank You for showing me Your love in more ways than I could have ever imagined. May others who are experiencing loss and pain feel your tangible presence in their lives. Amen.