Eucharisteo

I have recently been reading a very popular book in the Christian community. Perhaps you are familiar with it? It's called "1,000 Gifts," and it was composed by a very gifted writer named Ann Voskamp. Farmer's wife, homeschooling mother of six, and follower of Christ, Ann shares her journey of how she found joy and thankfulness in the midst of the mundane tasks of everyday life.

In her book, Ann repeatedly comes back to the Greek verb Eucharisteo, which means "to give thanks" or "to feel thankful." It is a word that Jesus used very often. He used it when raising Lazarus from the dead and he used it when breaking bread at his last Passover.

Ann illustrates how the first sin of Satan and mankind was the sin of ingratitude. The belief that God was holding something back. She suggests that practicing Eucharisteo is the key to living a full life. That when we give thanks for the miniscule details around us, we tap into the presence of God and time slows. We are truly living in the moment and giving glory to our Creator by thanking Him for His creations.

Allow me to share a brief excerpt with you:
"Joy is the realest reality, the fullest life, and joy is always given, never grasped. God gives gifts and I give thanks and I unwrap the gift given: joy." (Voskamp, 57 Emphasis original)

There is the answer. The secret to living life to the full: giving thanks. So as I soak up these last weeks before school starts, I am focusing my heart on Eucharisteo. Won't you join me?