What's in a Name?

How many of us struggle to be content with our lives - it is easy for the seeds of discontent to be nourished by our ingratitude, selfishness and consistent desire for more out of life.

I've been reading a book called One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. The premise of the book is to live your life full of joy, thanksgiving and grace by making yourself aware of all the gifts and blessings in your life. It is one thing to know you are blessed - it is another to make a habit of consistently naming each gift that blesses your life. Why is it important to name those moments of wonder? Quoting Alexander Schmemann, Voskamp writes:

"Now, in the Bible a name...reveals the very essence of a thing, or rather its essence as God's gift...To name a thing is to manifest the meaning and value God gave it, to know it as coming from God and to know its place and function within the cosmos created by God. To name a thing, in other words, is to bless God for it and in it."

She goes on to say:

"In naming that which is right before me, that which I'd otherwise miss, the invisible becomes visible. The space that spans my inner emptiness fills in the naming. I name. And I know the face I face. God's! God is in the details; God is in the moment. God is in all the blurs by in life - even hurts in life."

The gifts of our life are all around us. Do we live our lives with enough gratitude to God to notice his hand in both grandeur and simplicity? Start by naming each blessing in your life.

visit www.aholyexperience.com or www.onethousandgifts.com