WORD WEDNESDAY - Grateful Joy

A post that uses the words "Grateful" and "Joy" cannot be written without including Ann Voskamp!

Her words have helped me so much over the past year as I attempted to name 1000 gifts, as she wrote about in her book...

I never put the two together!

Yes, I have been grateful for all of the things that God has given to me - to us all!  Yes, I thank Him - every day?  perhaps not; yet, I should!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us:

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  (NRSV)

This verse doesn't tell us to give thanks when we want to, or remember to, or if we feel like it!

No, it says we should give thanks "in all circumstances"... Why?  Because "this is the will of God..."

That's right!  We should give thanks to God because it is His will that we do so!

Writing this post today also reminds me of the "new" word I learned while daily seeking for the gifts of God...

Though I had heard the word "eucharist" when speaking of communion, I had never heard this form of it.  When I came across it in Ann's book, "1000 Gifts", I had to do some "research", see exactly what she was talking about.

{This "gift prompt", so to speak, for April 16, 2015, was "Three Hard Eucharisteos"; I had to know what it was that I was to find!

I wrote more this on my blog so I could remember and share; check it out here.}

The basic concept for Eucharisteo is this:

Grace + Thanksgiving = Joy

What more can we ask?  We receive and show grace; we are thankful; and from that, we receive joy...

...and "grateful joy changes the present", says Ann Voskamp.

So, just remember:

Yes!

Grateful Joy!