Eucharisteo
EUCHARISTEO- Greek form of "THANKSGIVING". The giving of thanks.
It's a concept Jesus practiced often.
“And he took bread, gave thanks (eucharisteo) and broke it, and gave it to them..” – Luke 22:19.
“For WHENEVER you eat this bread and drink this cup…” Whenever.. like every day, multiple times a day. Whenever we eat. I always tell my nutrition patients that food addiction is one of the most humbling thorns we can have because unlike some other addictive substances; they must fiercely address it head on 3-5+ times/ day to sustain LIFE. It requires a lifestyle change. It is not a fad we practice for a few months until we achieve the results we want and the abandon the lifestyle. As I am reading through the book “A Dare to Fully Live Right Where You Are: One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp, it hit me today. Like my patients, I need a lifestyle change. Like them, I have been drowning in a sin of the fall, in the non-eucharistic, discontent society. It is the legacy of the Garden of Eden. We are products of ingratitude. The rest of the Garden simply wasn't enough for Adam and Eve. Is it enough for me? Is what the Lord has for me TODAY enough for me? Do I see the blessings, joy, strengths, surplus or do I see the holes, lack, deficiency in myself, others, this world? Could I make a lifestyle change to live like that- to live with my hands open to receive freely what He has for me?
To give thanks for the dying to self and what I want?
Looking deeper at the root of Eucharisteo, we find 2 words. More than words to me. NAMES we have been praying over for weeks now, deciding if they will be added to the names of our children. The same names we spoke of with our dearest friends the night before we boarded the place to Ghana. I said the names asking for an opinion and Justin looked up the Greek translation. CHARIS and CHARA. Grace and Joy. Today, I received God’s confirmation whisper to me that these girls will forever be our reminder of EUCHARISTEO.
Of THANKSGIVING.
CHARIS. –Grace . MABEL GRACE
CHARA- Joy. PORTIA JOY
“Portia, you always want to do everything I do”- Mabel
“That’s because we are sisters” – Portia
There are no sweeter words to a mother’s ears. Now, they will share names. They are not biological sisters, not from the same tribe or language, but they will forever share the name of Thanksgiving. Of EUCHARISTEO.
The idea of the names started out with the auntie that stays in Mabel’s room each night. She calls herself Grace. We find out a few days ago that her real aunt also shares the name Grace. The aunt who shares the same shortened leg. The same reminder of our need for God’s Grace. His Favor. Portia’s “JOY” stemmed from the word that anyone who knew her in the least would use first to describe her. The character trait that fiercely drew our hearts to hers within 5 minutes of being with her and the thing you cling to when you would rather cry.
She is full of JOY. Pure. Raw. JOY.
The names will still carry the weight that they initially had but the Lord intended SO much more for them. As He often does. And for that, I am THANKFUL.
We couldn’t be more thankful for the Lord’s faithfulness in His covenant to us in the promise of these girls. And like food, motherhood is an hourly if not minute –by-minute reminder of humility, of dying to self, and of THANKSGIVING.
“Eucharisteo- the Greek word with the hard meaning and the harder meaning to live- this is the only way from empty to full”- Ann Voskamp.
“A good name is more desirable than great riches..”- Proverbs 22:1
It's a concept Jesus practiced often.
“And he took bread, gave thanks (eucharisteo) and broke it, and gave it to them..” – Luke 22:19.
“For WHENEVER you eat this bread and drink this cup…” Whenever.. like every day, multiple times a day. Whenever we eat. I always tell my nutrition patients that food addiction is one of the most humbling thorns we can have because unlike some other addictive substances; they must fiercely address it head on 3-5+ times/ day to sustain LIFE. It requires a lifestyle change. It is not a fad we practice for a few months until we achieve the results we want and the abandon the lifestyle. As I am reading through the book “A Dare to Fully Live Right Where You Are: One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp, it hit me today. Like my patients, I need a lifestyle change. Like them, I have been drowning in a sin of the fall, in the non-eucharistic, discontent society. It is the legacy of the Garden of Eden. We are products of ingratitude. The rest of the Garden simply wasn't enough for Adam and Eve. Is it enough for me? Is what the Lord has for me TODAY enough for me? Do I see the blessings, joy, strengths, surplus or do I see the holes, lack, deficiency in myself, others, this world? Could I make a lifestyle change to live like that- to live with my hands open to receive freely what He has for me?
To give thanks for the dying to self and what I want?
Looking deeper at the root of Eucharisteo, we find 2 words. More than words to me. NAMES we have been praying over for weeks now, deciding if they will be added to the names of our children. The same names we spoke of with our dearest friends the night before we boarded the place to Ghana. I said the names asking for an opinion and Justin looked up the Greek translation. CHARIS and CHARA. Grace and Joy. Today, I received God’s confirmation whisper to me that these girls will forever be our reminder of EUCHARISTEO.
Of THANKSGIVING.
CHARIS. –Grace . MABEL GRACE
CHARA- Joy. PORTIA JOY
“Portia, you always want to do everything I do”- Mabel
“That’s because we are sisters” – Portia
There are no sweeter words to a mother’s ears. Now, they will share names. They are not biological sisters, not from the same tribe or language, but they will forever share the name of Thanksgiving. Of EUCHARISTEO.
The idea of the names started out with the auntie that stays in Mabel’s room each night. She calls herself Grace. We find out a few days ago that her real aunt also shares the name Grace. The aunt who shares the same shortened leg. The same reminder of our need for God’s Grace. His Favor. Portia’s “JOY” stemmed from the word that anyone who knew her in the least would use first to describe her. The character trait that fiercely drew our hearts to hers within 5 minutes of being with her and the thing you cling to when you would rather cry.
She is full of JOY. Pure. Raw. JOY.
The names will still carry the weight that they initially had but the Lord intended SO much more for them. As He often does. And for that, I am THANKFUL.
We couldn’t be more thankful for the Lord’s faithfulness in His covenant to us in the promise of these girls. And like food, motherhood is an hourly if not minute –by-minute reminder of humility, of dying to self, and of THANKSGIVING.
“Eucharisteo- the Greek word with the hard meaning and the harder meaning to live- this is the only way from empty to full”- Ann Voskamp.
“A good name is more desirable than great riches..”- Proverbs 22:1
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