Eucharisteo

This is the word that can change everything: eucharisteo—it comes right out of the Gospel of Luke: “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them … ” (Luke 22:19 NIV). In the original language, “he gave thanks” reads “eucharisteo.” The root word of eucharisteo is charis, meaning “grace.” Jesus took the bread and saw it as grace and gave thanks. He took the bread and knew it to be gift and gave thanks. Eucharisteo, thanksgiving, envelopes the Greek word for grace, charis. But it also holds its derivative, the Greek word chara, meaning “joy.” Charis. Grace. Eucharisteo. Thanksgiving. Chara. Joy. Deep chara joy is found only at the table of the euCHARisteo; the table of thanksgiving. As we've begun this new year, I've decided to become intentional about learning how to live a life of eucharisteo...always giving thanks with a grateful heart. It isn't easy to choose to live life this way, when everything around you seems to scream out in negativity. Our world today is filled with unkindness and evil, but if you look hard enough...you can find a reason to give thanks.

Ann Voskamp, wrote a wonderful book in which she learned how to live a life of eucharisteo. As a child, she witnessed her sister being crushed under a truck. Immediately after that event, her mother checked herself into a psychiatric hospital and her father couldn’t find God.  She has experienced much pain in her life but even in the pain, she battles to believe that in God is joy, and that there are as many gifts amid the grittiness of life as in the moments of celebration. In her book, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare  to Live Fully Right Where You Are, Ann helps provide answers to tough questions like these:

• Where is joy in the midst of cruelty and chaos, duties and despair?
• How does one slow down enough for the soul and God to live in synch?
• How in the world do we learn to find God and live fully?

Every day of our lives, we must make choices on how we're going to get through difficult situations and circumstances. We can choose to be enveloped in the struggle or look for joy in the midst of it. Living a life of eucharisteo, is learning to live a life purposely looking for reasons to give thanks.

One of the best ways to begin living a life of eucharisteo, is to begin keeping a gratitude journal. It doesn't have to be anything fancy...a simple memo pad or notebook will do. If you've never kept a gratitude journal before, start off small. Look for just 3 things a day in which you can give thanks. By purposely jotting down a few items a day, you'll shift your focus from the negativity in the world around you to the positivity of what God is and always has been doing in your life. The journal will be your personal journey into seeing God's goodness. As you continue looking for those "gifts" each day, the ones in which you can give heartfelt thanks to God, I believe you'll find that you can begin to list more and more "gifts" each day. He gives us wonderful gifts of grace every single day. I think when we begin to intentionally list them and focus on them, our minds discover how very much He loves us and wants to bless us.

Let me give you an example of my three gifts of gratitude this morning:

•  As I looked in the mirror this morning, after my shower, I noticed the large, ugly scars across my chest. Cancer tried to kill me, but God in His magnificent grace said, "No! I'm not through with you yet! You will live." I am so thankful for the gift of life. 
• Three beautiful deer traipsed across my lawn this morning. I was thankful for the gift of eyesight for without it, I would never have seen them. 
• The dishwasher is full of dishes, which means we have had money to buy food, and we have had food to eat,  and we have been content. Thank you God for your provision!

Do you see how easy it is? When you start looking for things in which to be thankful, the blessings will be there. When you start writing them down, you'll see that you have become intentional in looking for ways to give thanks. If you need a little boost to get started, read Ann's book or you may even want to take her Joy Dare. My first time taking the Joy Dare was last year and I'm so glad I did!

The world is full of things that will pull you down and make you feel sad, lonely, and depressed. Instead of looking around at your circumstances, choose to look up to Christ instead. He loves you so much and He longs to bless you. Simple little blessings surround each of us daily. Look for them and you'll find them. I promise. 

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