In November we are reminded of being Thankful. You will probably list the normal expected litany of “family, friends, health, job, financial security, etc.” I know I am certainly thankful those good things in my life.
How do people like to say “thank you?” Speaking the words is one step. We say thanksgiving prayers to God, and words of thanks to those around us. “I am so thankful for friends and family like you!” you might say. At church, we give praise and sing “We give thanks to our God.”
It is becoming a lost art, but do you still write thank you notes? I have been known to write one here and there, because I know that it is yet one more level to say thanks than just a spoken word. I remember after my wedding, forcing myself to sit down and to write personalized thank you notes to all our guests for sharing the day with us (and also for the gift if they gave one). It was laborious but I know that it was appreciated and I wanted them to know what they did was worth more than just a spoken, “Thanks.”
If someone does something special how often have you bought them a gift for it? It can be yet another layer of saying “thank you so much!” More than a hand-written note, a gift shows that you went through the effort and expense to show the person how thankful you are for their help. Whether their care, service, or generosity touched you, you obviously wanted to show a sincere and heartfelt thank you in a substantive way. If you have ever donated to a telethon or fundraiser where they give away tee shirts, mugs, or free concert tickets, being thanked with a gift is a huge blessing!
Sometime showing thanks with unspoken actions like hugs and kisses can also show our gratitude towards our blessings. If a person asks “will you marry me” you would expect the response to be an embrace, a closeness, and thanking the person by kissing them. It might be awkward to respond saying, “Yes I am so thankful you asked me, I will write you the nicest thank you note and buy you a little something to show my appreciation.”
But for the biggest thank you, the biggest thing we are thankful for, it is hard to put into action. How do we give thanks to God for our very life, for the blessings we receive, for the hope of eternal life we have, for our faith? How do we thank our creator? The short answer is we thank God with our praise, our generosity and our service in Jesus’ name.
This season of thankfulness, how will you show your gratitude? Some people like a hug, some a card, some like to hear you simply say “Thanks.” God is grateful for you and has given you the opportunity to live a life of blessings. How will you say “Thank you” to God this year?