A Simple Practice That Changed my Life
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Everyone’s life is very busy. I find I set huge unachievable goals for myself - like working out every morning or keeping up with an intense, long daily prayer routine. Eventually, as a college student, things get too busy, demands are too high and you guessed it, I can’t keep up with the unreal expectations I have set for myself.
This leads to discouragement, strong disappointment, anxiety and a further thirst for more. There is never any peace in the process. This cycle is obviously not what the Lord intends to place on our hearts or in our daily lives.
Personally, I need and seek the peace that lasts through ups and downs, the feeling deep in your heart in which you can lean on when your world is spinning. I think we are all meant for the God-holding-you type freedom where you can run into deep waters knowing he is swimming beside you.
However, we are trained to be afraid, to feel lacking, to turn to comparison, and to keep conversations running in our heads surrounding the fact that we need to become more & seek bigger and better.
I am often tricked into the idea that once i hit the weekend, a new year, better age, get the right grades or eat all the right foods that the contentment I desire will come.
I’ve found in life so far that most feelings and fears depend on our mindset and how we choose to listen to and recognize the Lord in our daily life.
How does this all relate?
Well, I am excited to say I have found a practice that really has brought a lot of joy to my life, is manageable and has seriously triggered exponential growth in peace and my relationship with the Lord.
Two years ago, I was overwhelmed with this nasty-expectation-goal-setting-pressure process and it was wreaking havoc on my heart and my image of myself. This is when the Lord called me to slowness, attention and appreciation of the little things.
He reminded me of the miracle in every little moment, person and thing in my life.
He now shows me the gifts he is pouring out in every second and he calls me to the present.
I received a copy of Ann Voskamp’s book 10,000 gifts and became both entangled and stunned by her practice and writing. She speaks of how full life really shows through during the smallest of moments. She encourages a practice of awareness of the gifts all around us. She includes everything from sunshine spilling in windows, to family meals. She makes it her goal to count 1,000 blessings or gifts from God a year. She encourages a type of unceasing thanksgiving.
This is one of my very favorite quotes from her book:
“And the earth under your feet, the rain over your face upturned, the stars spinning all around you in the brazen glory: this is for you, you, you. These are for you-gifts-these are for you-grace-these are for you-God, so count the ways He loves, a thousand, more, never stop, that when you wake in the morning you can't help turn humbly to the east, unfold your hand to the heavens, and though you tremble and though you wonder, though the world is ugly, it is beautiful, and you can slow and you can trust and you can receive each moment as grace.” - Ann Voskamp
This always hits me hard. Afterall, God’s voice and hand is quiet, gentle, transformative rather than pressurizing and oh how he loves us in the silent, little, or mundane.
Inspired by her outlook, I began my first thankful list at the beginning of 2017. I call it my miracles & gifts because truly - that friendship, sunrise, or super good salad is a miracle in of itself. This practice has seriously changed my attitude, life and heart and I could not suggest starting your own list more.
I accomplish this with a running record scribed in the notes app on my phone - simple, but effective. I update it weekly or daily or whenever I remember or feel called. It is now 2018 and I have already counted over 1,000 - I am grateful, I feel abundance over scarcity and I see the Lord in so much more.
Though I am never perfect, this has helped me encounter and recognize the Lord in the chaotic, busy and overwhelming. This is doable, and very transformative.
I hope to continue to receive each moment and gift as grace, because truly, that is what life is - tons of grace disguised as all these gifts. From this place of abundance and thanksgiving to the Lord, we are free, we come alive.