‘G od wills to know the actual, lived-out reality of our preference for Him over all things…”
~John Piper
The tomatoes are blooming, gold trumpets heralding coming grace in the garden. The hens are pecking out by the wheat. We pull weeds.
How do we live out the actual, lived-out reality of our preference of Him in all things?
Is it that we only prefer God over goods when we know God as only good, giving good?
How better to prefer God over the gift — than to thank Him regardless of whether circumstances feel like a gift?
How better to treasure the Giver more than the gift — than to celebrate everything as a gift, because the Giver is only good?
How better to express unequivocal trust in who God is — than to express unequivocal thanks for what God gives?
How to better manifest the actual, lived-out reality of our preference for Christ over all things — than to thank Christ in all things?
The hard thanksgivings, the hard eucharisteo, is the opening of the hand not only for whatever He chooses in His sovereignty to give — but an opening of the hand — to take the Giver’s hand.
There are weeds down the rows and who doesn’t have a few slivers in the heart?
In midday heat, the hens, they cluck this long and quiet assurance.
All gratitude is ultimately gratitude for Christ, all remembering a remembrance of Him. For in Him all things were created, are sustained, have their being.
Thus Christ is all there is to give thanks for; Christ is all there is to remember.
To know how we can count on God, we count graces, but ultimately there is really only One.
#2547- #2574 of counting the hard as gifts, as giving thanks for the Giver above all…more of the One Thousand Gifts
that never end…
hard eucharisteos…
rifts
weight settling in wrong places
jam smudges on fridge doors
trash tossed in flower bed
cuts, wounds, and bandages
the unknown
botched to-do lists
broken down air-conditioning
sputtering family mini-van, fifteen years old
bickering
lost do-hickey for the food processor
living in this skin
treasuring the Giver of all, and all’s grace
the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven Col. 1:5
the true message of the gospel Col. 1:5
love in the Spirit Col. 1:5
all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives Col. 1:6
growing in the knowledge of God Col. 1:10
being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience Col. 1:11
joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light Col. 1:12
rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the kingdom of the Son he loves Col. 1:13
redemption, the forgiveness of sins Col. 1:14
in everything He might have the supremacy Col. 1:18
reconciling to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross Col. 1:20
But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation… Col. 1:22
[living] life in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith… and overflowing with thankfulness. Col. 2:6-7
Related Resources:
Free Printable: July’s Free Gratitude Calendar coming later today (so many tech glitch’s this morning!)
Free Printable: 7 Gifts Good & Perfect : A Weekly Gratitude booklet (find folding instructions for booklet here)
And from the archives: How to {help} Raise Grateful Kids : A Primer for the Summer
Today, if you’d like to share your own marking towards One Thousand Gifts of thanks, of making your life about thanks to God — (please, jump in!) — just add the direct URL to your specific 1000 gift list post… and if you join us, we humbly ask that you please help us find each other by sharing the community’s graphic within your post.
