A Review: One Thousand Gifts

I recently finished One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, by Ann Voskamp. Ann recounts her journey of learning to be thankful to God for all of his gifts, whether she would consider it a gift or a set-back. A friend challenges her to make a list of 1,000 things that she is thankful for... and through that journey, she begins to understand the importance of thankfulness and how becoming thankful opens the door to a more intimate relationship with God. One of my favorite passages of the book is actually a quote from Jean Pierre de Caussade,


"You would be very ashamed if you knew what the experiences you call setbacks, upheavals, pointless disturbances, and tedious annoyances really are. You would realize that your complaints about them are nothing more nor less than blasphemies-though that never occurs to you. Nothing happens to you except by the will of God, and yet [God's] beloved children curse it because they do not know it for what it is." (p.125)


There were a few things about the book that concerned me -- for example, I found her writing style distracting. Also, some of her theology and use of Scripture seemed a little fuzzy. However, those issues aren't deal-breakers, and what I gained from the book outweighs the negative. The book encouraged me to pursue thankfulness in all circumstances, and to see the goodness in all of God's gifts. To trust Him with my life.


I would recommend this book, with just a word of caution -- to read wisely and cautiously.