How many times do you say ‘thank you’ during one day? Have you sent any ‘thank you’ notes to people who gave you Christmas presents? Do you assume that others know you are thankful for acts of kindness or gifts they have given? We should say and show ‘Thank You’ as often as possible. Those two little words make a big impact when shared from a thankful heart. Thanking people is no small thing. Those two words plant in our minds the fact that we have been given to; they also create character and a more positive view of the world. When we say ‘thank you’ it makes people realize their efforts (whatever they were) were appreciated. Saying ‘thank you’ also encourages more of the same behavior in the future. We may think it doesn’t matter if we are thanked, but a hearty ‘thank you’ makes us want to do the act of kindness again. Are you thinking of people who have thanked you today? How many people have you thanked since you woke up this morning? Ironically, the people closest to us - who do the most for us - can easily be taken for granted and seldom hear their loved one say or show ‘thank you’ ’! Gratitude connects us spiritually also. Thanking God for all He does and gives tenderizes hearts and gets the attention of our Creator. King David understood the power of thanking and praising the Lord and cried out to Him whether hiding in caves or leading men into battle. Can’t you just hear David, the young shepherd boy, thanking God when Goliath’s battle cry only made him more determined to kill the giant that mocked God? The last Psalm King David wrote implores people to praise the Lord with everything. David’s earnest repentance and thankfulness got God’s attention as He called David ‘a man after God’s own heart’!
How many times a day do we thank God for gifts great and small that make a difference in our lives? Being in constant thanksgiving to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is a way of life pleasing to God. How, when, where, how often we thank, praise, and commune with Christ is personal. God sees in our hearts and recognizes sincere or shallow praise and appreciation for being a good, good, Father. He longs for a personal relationship bathed in prayer and praise with all His children. Thanking our heavenly Father for sending His Son and accepting Jesus into our hearts is precious in His sight and pays off when our work here is done and He says, ‘well done my good and faithful servant’…welcome Home! Recently, a lady entered the door at Tim’s Gift early on a Monday morning with a limp in her walk and song of praise that told us Jesus was her Best Friend. Jennifer, Diane, and I had gathered at Jennifer’s desk for our morning prayer, so we invited our sister in Christ to join us. Holding hands and testifying of His love in our lives, I nodded for Priscilla to pray. She began praying, “Thank You God for what you have done, for what you are doing, and for what you will do. Oh, thank You Jesus. Thank You dear Father, Thank You Lord, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.” Priscilla’s prayer was filled with passion and power as she repeated over and over again and again simple and sincere words that ushered in His sweet Holy Spirit …”Thank You Lord, Thank You Father, Thank You Jesus, Thank You God, Thank You”
Our morning prayer was long and lovely…Paul would have loved it! I know we did, for the power of hearing Priscilla fervently and faithfully pray those two words “Thank You” over and over was like one of King David’s psalms of thanksgiving, a prayer like I had never heard, only two words poured out lovingly (like the oil the woman at Bethany poured out on Jesus’ head) to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in humble gratitude. I have thanked God for Priscilla and her prayer often since that Monday morning when hearing ‘Thank You God’ hundreds of time brought heaven down and glory filled our hearts. Recently, I was reading a book about Gratitude and was moved by a quote by Meister Eckhart. His words are fitting to end this story on thanking Father, family, and friends. My prayer is that you have been blessed and felt a stirring in your heart to give thanks and gratitude over and over to people who color your world with love. “IF the only prayers you say in your whole life are ‘thank you,’ they would suffice.” Thank you for reading the stories He sends and sharing His love… for time is nigh!