It was Ann who first invited me to take this journey of counting the graces. Ann, without the fanciful “e”, the Farmer’s wife, mama of six, who’s home is not so far from my birthplace in Exeter, Ontario. Yes, the Ann to whom I owe much gratitude.
Many Mondays have come and gone and my list grows, getting ever closer to one thousand. I know now that my counting will not cease when I reach that grand goal of one thousand graces. I will not stop counting because the real goal was never just a number to attain, but a heart to change, a life to grasp. A life of gratitude.
I’ve learned it does not take one to reach one thousand to take hold of that life, but I don’t dare chance to see how quickly it could be lost if the counting ceased.
Long before I began the counting, years in fact, Ann began her counting. Many joined her along the way, and I was surely not the first to see the beauty of her words, the beauty of her life. By God’s great grace, some saw fit to request the words of her be written in a book.
And today, on a Monday, the most fitting of days, Ann’s book is being released. Sharing it with you is the least I can do to express my gratitude for this heart-friend. The Ann, without the fanciful “e”.
And I continue my own count of one thousand gifts…
681. a friend sponsoring a child
682. roads that “sing” under my car’s tires
683. fresh snow
684. a furnace that stops working and reminds me to be grateful for the heat it provides
685. feeling “caught up” at work {the first time in a very long time}
686. hugs from my children numerous times every day
687. just-because roses from my man
688. my pre-ordered copy of Ann’s book shipping today!
In hope,
Shelli
About Shelli Bourque