It is Thanksgiving, an appropriate time to reflect upon those who have given of themselves for your benefit over the years.
My pastor had a fine suggestion for an exercise in gratitude:
1. Write down the names of all those who, over the years, have given of themselves for your benefit. List as many people as you can think of.
2. Write down what they did for you.
3. Pause and give thanks to your God for those He has placed in your path over the years who have helped you in one way or another.
4. Write at least one of these people expressing your gratitude. “Pastor Bob” described a gentleman who took the time to locate a schoolteacher who taught him many years ago and was a particularly strong influence on his life. His former teacher was now a frail, elderly woman living in a nursing home. He wrote his letter of gratitude and sent it off to her.
Sometime later he was pleasantly surprised to receive a letter from her in which she said how thrilled she was to receive his letter and that she had read it numerous times through many tears of joy. She went on to explain that previous to this gentleman’s letter she had never received any words of thanks from former students expressing their gratitude for her influence on their lives.
She now keeps his letter on her bulletin board and proudly shows it to her visitors. Seems like a pretty easy thing–this business of giving thanks. Easy enough that it could be practiced more than once a year (if that). And the blessings of giving thanks go both ways–to the one being thanked and to the one giving thanks. Surely we can all take a few minutes out of our busy lives to thank someone who has influenced our lives for the better. Then, take a few more minutes and teach your children to do the same.
