For He is always speaking, if only I could hear Him, see Him, receive Him.
I’ve been reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. To honor the intent of the book, I’ve begun my own list I titled a Dare to Name all the Ways that God Loves Me.
I had to rename this list because even if I lost every single thing listed here I know that God still loves me.
I’m Thankful For:
- Health insurance.
- A husband’s love.
- A home.
- The truth of scriptures.
- That Daniel gave thanks.
- For children’s laughter.
- For children’s questions.
- For childlike faith.
- Imaginations of children.
- The sound of LEGOs pieced together, clicks and clinks as the youngest boy digs.
- The click of computer keyboard, as ideas fall onto the screen.
- The tinkling of guitar chords, rising from the basement.
- Skinny boy legs.
- Coffee, warm and soothing.
- Enthusiasm of children.
- Emma’s laughter.
- A loyal pup.
- Ginger tea’s reminder of many things shared with Tom.
- A warm, heated home.
- A trusty car.
- The prayers of friends, new and old.
- The hope of Cross Stitch.
- Full tummies.
- Silly belly laughing at dinner.
- Frost on the fall morning’s grass.
- The stories of Ho-Chunk people “People of the Big Voice” which I heard about on the radio.
- Public radio.
- Public teachers and leaders, truly humble people.
- The New Yorker magazine.
- Books. Books piled up in corners.
- Used book store smell.
- The sounds of the heater kerchunking in the winter. (It still works!)
- A husband who does laundry.
- Drinking Jasmine tea with a friend.
- Feeling understood.
- the Bible plain and simple, that anyone can open, read and try to understand.
- that the Bible doesn’t have to make complete and total “sense.”
- my depression.
my alcoholism.Being sober three years and four months.- Handel‘s Messiah!
- Tears, being able to cry again.
- Tom.
- Tom’s job.
- God’s abundant provision!
- Good health (so far) for our children.
- Molly living at home.
- The CIVA project to work on.
- The illogic of faith.
- My sisters, strong resilient women each one.
- That I was able to travel twice to Russia and Ukraine.
- The hope that I will one day travel overseas again.
- So many talented, creative friends who make music and art!
- For pecan pie. 11/28/2011
- For the ability to express myself in writing.
- A child who tells me when she’s afraid.
- A grown up daughter that still listens and grows.
- And her big, open heart!
- the smell of rice cooking.
- the dog growling at baby Jesus and the reindeer in my neighbor’s yard.
- Turkey curry with coconut milk.
- Vietnamese Noodles with a good friend.
- Home made hot cocoa for a sick girl.
- sunlight in the window.
- Chai warm and sweet goodness.
- Mosaics.
- Clouds in the blue sky.
- Ice on early morning windows.
- boy drinking broth with a straw.
- the agility and ability of children to sleep in any place or position.
- home-made corn bread cooking sweet in the oven.
- the grass sparkling with frost. 11/30/2011
- Learning humility from a dear friend who is constantly insulted by others’ insensitivity to her beautiful Japanese culture & heritage.
- Vanilla Ice Cream!
- A night out with Tom and no kids.
- Dinner with friends.
- Fires in the fireplace.12/5
- Classical music.
- Jacob’s “graduating” from help at school after eight years of speech and language help!
- Sunsets, the color and majesty.
- Heat, as in sand and palm trees and sun!
- That Junia was a woman and that I know it.
- The honor of serving on the board of Lilada’s Livingroom.
- Historians, like Doris Kearns Goodwin.
- Blackhawk church downtown!
- That “public servants” is not a misnomer.
- For the teachers, aids, doctors, speech therapists, tutors and interns that have worked with J for the last eight years, giving him language, and speech and the discovery of his own intelligence.
- Men who aren’t sexist.