In Thanksgiving

We complain a lot, as humans. That’s something that we do. I was listening to K-Love in my area one morning on my way to work and a listener came on who stated how she had a child that had cancer. During a very difficult conversation when a doctor was trying to tell her something about her child, this listener said, “Thank you.” to this doctor. The lady then went on to say that the doctor just looked at her with shock and tears in her eyes. When the mom saw that, she asked the doctor if anyone had said that to her and she replied, “No.”

That got me thinking a lot. How many times do we fail to say thank you to someone who is doing a job? Too often we don’t. We fail to see them as individuals who have their own hopes and dreams. They also have their own heartaches and fears. It might not be their dream job but at least they are doing it. We don’t know what’s going on in their lives but they still deserve warmth and kindness from us. A simple thank you can go a long way in uplifting others. I also find that it can uplift ourselves as well while we go through our day.

Another thing that I thought of is that we have a God who appreciates the same courtesy that He wants us to show toward others. Next time that you wake up in the morning and have a job to go to, say, “Thank you!” Thank Him for the food on your table, the clothes that you wear, the clean water that you drink, the ability to have a say in important matters and all other things that are a part of who you are. Say thank you to God for the little things, the in-between things and the big things. We need to remember and understand that we also have a God who loves us very, very much and wants to be appreciated just the same as we can be to our fellow human beings.

The very, very best thing? It’s free and while it can be uplifting to them, it also can do something positive for you as well.

So, what did I learn from this? I’m better when I see others as God sees us. I have to take all that love that God freely gives me and share it. Will others always be receptive to it? No but I don’t give up. I just turn to prayer instead and pray for them. That’s also free. I can’t change them. Only God can do that but I want them to see God through me. I’m not perfect by any stretch of the imagination so I constantly have to work at it. It’s a process but I do know this… I can help someone else feel the love of God even if they don’t believe.

What can you gain from this? If you want to become a better person, then see all the wonderful opportunities around you. There are people all around who really, really could use some encouragement. Will you get knocked down some? Yes. Not everyone’s going to be receptive. However, that shouldn’t stop you from trying. After all, how hard is it to say something nice? It doesn’t take any effort, just initiative and a simple kindness under it all.