There are two little words we all love to hear. Sadly, as we grow older many of us seem to hear them less, and less. We’ve come to a point where we often don’t know how to respond to these words; they elicit an uncomfortable denial. The thoughts, “you don’t need to say that to me” are often expressed as, “I was only doing my job.”
And yet the lack of these words, or the sentiment they express, has been a source of sorrow, stress and bitterness for many. To the extent that people have thrown away jobs, relationships and even their life. All for the sake of two little words, “Thank you”.
A sense of gratitude is surely one of the greatest attributes we could hope to find in someone, for this shapes their entire life. And the lives of those around them. You and I would both be more willing to help someone who appreciates what we do for them, than someone that disregards our assistance or considers it their “right”. Quite simply, pride and arrogance stink.
As autumn presses on we approach the second biggest event in the retailers’ calendar. They’ve been preparing us for it for weeks. It’s time to “celebrate” Halloween, whatever that means.
If thankfulness is the ultimate, greed is the antithesis. In its very essence, Halloween is a celebration of darkness, hatred and greed. But, particularly as a parent of young children, the tricky part is that many of the activities associated with Halloween are fun. The conundrum is how to let the children enjoy the fun activities without compromising our family’s values.
This year we had a big family dinner at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Not just any dinner, it was a “thanksgiving” dinner. Yes, for those on the other side of the Atlantic that may sound familiar! Seventeen of us, Grandma and Grandpa, uncles and aunts, cousins, brothers and sisters, sat down for a good meal together. Before dinner the children had carved pumpkins to celebrate love and light, and we focused our thoughts on things we were grateful for, such as:
- Family
- Friends,
- Our Saviour Jesus Christ,
- A warm home and clothes,
- Employment,
- Food,
- Hope.
In the literal darkness of approaching winter and the metaphorical darkness that seems so prevalent, it was good to celebrate the love and light that has come into the world.
What do you take for granted too often?
Take some time today to express your gratitude.
