Recording Gifts: because Our Days Are Not Perfect, but Our God Is
The last few days skirted by me in a daze of deadlines and events, some good, some challenging. Monday’s usual sharing of my chronicled gifts passed with nothing posted. But I can’t let that stand.
Recording gifts is becoming a necessary part of every day for me. And I have to share these lists of blessings.
I have to share last weeks gifts because I need to remember that God gifts daily. I have to share because not every day is perfect, but my God is … and I need that reminder … maybe you do too.
My prayer is that my Joy Dare list (below) is as encouraging to you, the reader, as it is to me, the recorder. (Click here to read all 3,449 of them!)
Recording Gifts
Might I also encourage you to begin your own list of “thanks givings.” Journal, video or audio record, or even chronicle them with photographs. Recording gifts has blessed me in so many ways. I’m sure it will bless you as well.
Because even in the hardest day, peace and joy (yes, even joy) can be found in His poured-out blessings. Abide in the Lord by taking time to notice His gems of grace.
No day is perfect, but our God is. Everlasting hope!
No day is perfect, but our God is, and He offers everlasting hope! #hopeinthemess Share on X
“God—His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is pure. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” 2 Samuel 22:31
Reflection: What is (or would be) your preferred way of recording the blessings you receive each day?
Since beginning over 3 years ago, I’ve counted more than 3,000 gifts in Ann Voskamp’s Joy Dare! What a blessing! So here we go: #3429–3449, read my entire list by clicking here.
- Quiet morning with a school late start; An at-dusk walk with Joey; Water droplets hanging off highbush cranberries
- Date morning with hubby; Driving Danny’s fun little manual transmission car (shh, don’t tell him!); Grace given to and grace received from son — grateful for our relationship
- Selecting & cutting down our Christmas trees–yes 2 trees;
- Culled through all the photos on my iPad; Rachel’s imitations of my mannerisms–perhaps a bit humbling
- Wrapping caramels alongside my boy; Receiving a text with words I wanted to hear from a dear friend; Christmas cards ordered
- Sweet gift of eating breakfast with a sister at heart–love her; A man who loves me with all my imperfections; Oldest son done with finals and feeling good about them
- Serving people at our church’s candy/cookie sale; Watching Rudolph and Frosty with my family–memories; Zachary’s willingness to share his singing gift with his college church
- Danny home safely–and we have him for a whole month!; Helped costume the church Christmas program kids at practice; Sound of boys wrestling around again
By His Grace,
Julie
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Hello, I'm Julie, an imperfect wife and mother of four. Life in this broken world is not always easy. Yet, joy can be found in each day through the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I find it's easy for our day's blessings to get lost in its happenings. But God's "mercies never end" (Lamentations 3:22) and His "grace is sufficient" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
May the posts and pages on this site offer you a measure of peace and encouragement.
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You see it a lot in Psalms (but there are many others) where people would declare or pray the ways that God had blessed them. We tend to be very forgetful so we need to record our gifts so that we remember and take nothing for granted.
That’s right, Jon. I wonder if David sometimes sang his blessings?
Well knowing he sang when he was a shepherd, I would think it is a good possibility.
This is the end of my second year of writing down the gifts and blessings God has given me. Last year and this year, I kept track of them on my NEO-portable word processor. For 2015, I plan to use a date planning book. God has become more real to me as I have done this exercise.