Eucharisteo – to be grateful, feel thankful; give thanks
I’ve been reading “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp. In the book, she talks about the act of eucharisteo – the greek verb for giving thanks. In summary, when we switch our thinking from complaining or wishing we had more to being grateful and giving thanks, our attitudes will begin to change. I’ve been trying to incorporate this into my daily life. In my new life on the race, it’s real easy to complain. Even though I know God wants me here, I find that I am quick to focus on the negative things. My feet are swollen, I’m sweating and I just had a shower, rice again, and so on. But when I find something to be thankful for, I start thanking God for those things and suddenly my demeanor has changed. Thank you for my bed and pillow, thank you for my rain jacket, thank you for cold water to drink. Eucharisteo takes work. It takes intentional thinking to focus on your positive surroundings. I am constantly reminding myself to find something in each situation to be thankful for. I have learned that the more I focus on being thankful, the more there is to be thankful for.
What are thankful for today? Are you choosing to focus on that over the negative aspects of your life? How will that change your attitude for the people you meet today and the places you will go?
Fun Fact: My team took an 11 hour bus ride last night and we are now in Malang, Indonesia!
