Thankful for my experience of delightful European coffee!
Luke 22:19 “And he took bread, gave thanks (eucharisteo) and broke it, and gave it to them….”
Eucharisteo Definition:
Gave thanks, give thanks, to be grateful, feel thankful
Eucharisteo. One day, I happened upon Ann Voskamps blog A Holy Experience, and I am so thankful I did. Please check it out for yourself and see how God puts her pen to paper and causes beautiful, meaningful, heartfelt words of truth to flow out. God, pen, paper and a blog. God ordained and God blessed.
Ever since I found her blog and her book one thousand gifts, I have been challenged. Challanged to live a life of Eucharisteo, one of daily giving thanks. For all things. In all situations. For the here. For the now. For life that happens daily right in front of me. Hardly, a day goes by when I don’t remember Eucharisteo. A life of giving thanks for everything. I remember that if he broke bread and gave thanks, then I should also. His body broken, the bread broken in remembrance of his broken body. He gave thanks, I can give thanks. For all, for everything, for this life to live for him.
You see. I am in a season. I suppose we all are. I am a wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, lover of God and keeper of the home. I am many things, to many people. I am me. I am who he created me to be. I am to be a thankful daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and lover of God and yes even to live eucharisteo in my home as I keep it for him, for my husband, for others. I wear different hats at different times, some more graciously then others and during those hard moments, I hear the gentle reminder of Eucharisteo. Will I live that? Will I trust that he is more than enough to give thanks for? I feel the breeze, I hear the summer sounds, nature’s creatures and a baby, making their sweet noises and I breathe in and remember, yes, I can do this. I can do this thing called eucharisteo. Psalm 139 tells me he knows everything about me, if that is true, and I know it is, then I am enough. And for that I give thanks to him. The creator of all things. The creator of this life he has given me to live.
Some days, life is hard, and I don’t remember to give thanks. I had one recently and my daughter said “what three things are you thankful for today?” I had to smile (as I thought very hard about that question) she was learning with me!
Thanksgiving! What if we lived each day with joyful thanksgiving? Even in the hard times, hard days, hard pushing to get through this life. The nit and grit of the daily grind, what if? I can only see an attitude of gratitude forming. Gratitude for all he gives and lets us live in this life.
Won’t you join me, as I join Ann, and each day jot down three things you are giving thanks for? Just hop on board, get out your pen and paper and start right here, right now. Let the pen flow and your heart take wing as you decide to live a life of Eucharisteo!
~Joyce~
The Girl from the Other Side.... 