Eucharsteo - εὐχαριστέω

Eucharsteo - εὐχαριστέω

"And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them..."(Luke 22:19)
"He gave thanks" reads "Eucharisteo": 1. to be grateful, feel thankful. 2. give thanks   

           
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. 
I am captivated, I learned to see the head ache that thumped unceasingly in my head as a gift in disguise. How? you ask. I learned that as long as thanks is possible, then joy is possible. And joy is always possible, so "whenever"

meaning now, "wherever" meaning here.

Eucharisteo - thanksgiving- always precedes the miracle
  
     Meet Gloria, on Thursday morning on our way to a Anaheim's Farmers Market, we stop for gas as we talk of God's goodness and power to do miracles. As the pump stops on before the last couple of cents an elderly man approaches us and holds the pump in for the last drops. Right?! I was pretty weirded out!  but it turns out he wants to know what I'm doing and wants to donate to the cause to furthering my education & God's kingdom. And there you go, gas for about two weeks"... and lunch on me for you and your friend." 
     Weird? super weird, but its not weird in the a negative sense but more so in like a random, who are you? how, why?? A random blessing, a random miracle? Gloria witnesses the whole thing and is in shock.
- The life we live... Miracle after miracle.
But this was God's way of confirming that stressing uncontrollably over things I cannot control causes me to loose out on His blessings. With clenched fists I can't receive Him in full. 

Gloria and I had a blast at the farmers market. I see that evangelism is not only about proving correct theology, in fact I would venture to say that it is a holistic experience. It calls for love in spending time, getting to know each other, listening and sharing, crying and laughing. It is relationships we are building, like Jesus we serve as a bridge, drawing them close to the source of living water.
She is so excited, and it's official we are bestie-sisters. She is my personal trainer and I am her Bible coach.




 "On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it."(1 Corinthians 11:23-24)

Jesus, on the night before the driving hammer and iron piercing through the ligament and sinew, receives what God offers as grace (charis)... Oh facing the abandonment of God Himself (Does it get worse than this?), Jesus offers thanksgiving for even that which will break Him and crush Him and wound Him and yield a bounty of joy (chara). The mystery always contains more mysteries.

This Sabbath was the launch of Operation RASKALS Phase I. The prep work for a series is so much more than I thought, I can get lost in the details. So many souls to reach, so much to do... &yes, so little time. There is no time to loose thinking of self gratifications. More than ever I see Jesus giving up His life and giving thanks for it. Giving thanks that His pain, and potential separation from God, His broken heart might just save the weary, the poor in spirit,loose the bands of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens, and that ye break every yoke?

Not all is fuzzes with my Bible study contacts, I can see some obstacles raising. It is sad but some contacts  drop when there is lack of consistency. Truth is I can't force a fruit to ripen, that is the work of the Holy Spirit. After seeing a potential drop in my contacts list, my heart aches. But I look to Him...

         
        "Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the miracles, that were performed in you had been performed in, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day." (Matthew 11:20,21,23)

 - & then, what does Jesus directly do, in the face of apparent failure, when no one responded to His teaching, and things didn't work out at all? He lives out eucharisteo.

 "At that time, [precisely at that failing time] Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth..." (Matthew 11:25)

Patsy's first Bible!