Hi friends! Welcome to the final week of our first book club! I hope you enjoyed “One Thousand Gifts” and thinking on gratitude. What a way to start the first month of this new year, right?! This month alone has felt like a year in itself but it truly helped to focus on gratitude and to have eyes wide open to the gifts God gives. It’s so interesting to have that shift in perspective to remind me that despite everything else going on, He is still good.
Here are this week’s questions:
Chapter 10: Empty to Fill
Ann tells a story of an interaction with a homeless man on Yonge Street. Though he is behaving wildly, she sees within a sort-of kindred spirit. What about this interaction spoke to you? For example, wearing a mask to hide the real you, or the spiritual struggle of “not doing the good I want to do but doing what I don’t want to do” (Romans 7-8)?
The author connects the idea of eucharisteo with daily tasks such as washing dishes and doing laundry. Do you feel gratitude is hard to come by in the daily routine of to-do lists? How does this idea of “being the blessing” (pg. 192-195) change your mind about these tasks? Or do you have a hard time with this idea?
Chapter 11: The Joy of Intimacy
Ann discovers the truth of Zephaniah 3:17 that God really does rejoice over His people with singing. Do you find this to be true in your life? How do you respond to this love song?
She notes how generations of believers believed in a three step process to God: purgation, illumination, and union (pg. 208). How has your own journey with God followed (or not followed) these three steps?
How has reading “One Thousand Gifts” changed the way you view your life? Has it helped to open your eyes to God’s grace in a new way?
Check out this post if you’d like to join in on February’s book club!
What an amazing gift this book has been for me! 🤗 There have been so many statements I have underlined and really started to process.
Here are some of my thoughts from this last week:
Chapter 10
-Ann’s story regarding her interaction with the homeless man was very moving. We get so caught up in our lives, our drama, our wants and needs, that we don’t – can’t – make room to serve others. I thought it was so important that Ann pointed out the focus of that night was to “bless Christ in the other.” This is what we should be doing, focusing on all the time. After all, why are we creating our agendas, making our plans? We’re trying to be truly satisfied, feel genuinely valued, finally become full. As Ann puts it: “because isn’t the place we always really want to go to, the place of seeing God?” (Page 185) This hit me hard and made me ask “How much do I actually want to see God? How much do I actually want Him to see me?” God already sees me – the real me – there’s no need for me to wear a mask. There is the need to empty myself, let Christ empty me of myself, and become filled with Him.
-Gratitude is hard to come by in the daily routine because it’s not glamorous or appreciated most of the time. I completely agree with Ann’s mention of Dorothy Sayers’ quote (Page 194): “the moment you think of serving people, you begin to have a notion that other people owe you something for your pain.” It’s crazy how we can get so entangled in ourselves when we try to serve others. Showing gratitude – doing thanks, giving thanks away (Page 193) – helps our focus shift to see how God blesses us and how God can use us to bless others.
Chapter 11
-Most of the time, I am thinking of how I need to strengthen my relationship with God, what I need to/should do to get back on track, etc.; rarely do I really consider how He thinks of me….because I “know” already, I tell myself I know He loves me and it’s like second nature – but by dismissing it, I overlook the magnitude of His love, God Himself. I need to not only know it in my mind but also in my heart.
-My journey with God relates mostly to the purgation and illumination steps. The more I learn of God’s grace, the more I see how “this releasing of sin and self” is “the act of Christ” (Page 209) – I can’t do it on my own, I’m so proud and selfish; it’s Him working in and through me. And yet I love the spotlight (don’t we all?!) – why is it so hard to accept that “nothing I am counts for anything, but all that I count of Him counts for everything”? (Page 209) I need light, the Light of the World, to shine through my cracks and remove my darkness.
-This book has changed the way I view my life by exposing and naming pieces of my struggle to be grateful/thankful. I’ve started answering the question “How receptive to God do I really want to be?” (Page 213) – allowing myself to be real and raw with my feelings and thoughts. God can handle them, and I know He’s the only One who can heal them.
-I’m starting to see God’s grace in a new way; I’ve taken it for granted for a long time, but am now starting to realize how “gratitude is the most fruitful way of deepening your consciousness that you are…a divine choice.” (Page 205) Being thankful relates to trust, in that the object of one’s trust is deemed trustworthy; and because I can trust Him, I can be thankful and furthermore, have joy in Him.
I’m so glad this book has been a blessing! 🙂 You’ve had such insightful comments and made me think even more so on gratitude and emptying of self. I’ve underlined many passages as well and I definitely think it will be a book to re-read and come to again. We are such funny creatures because we want God and yet our flesh fights us so hard- our pride and need for acknowledgement hinder us from doing so much more for God and for others. This has really struck me lately. And if the Enemy can keep us focused on ourselves and twist what we believe God has told us, then he basically renders us miserable and ineffective for the Kingdom. So much to work through and process! Thank you for joining in and sharing what you’re learning! You’ve blessed me with what you’ve shared 🙂