Thanksgiving = Thanks-Doing!

I really believe this applies to what parents say to children and what parents say to each other, and to what children say to their parents and children say to each other.

There's no rule that says we can't be polite in our conversation with one another, so practice saying thank you — not only at home, but also at the store. When the waitress brings you your coffee, when the clerk hands you your purchase, even if they're just doing their job, say thank you.

It works on the job, too. There are always good opportunities to say thank you to someone you work with for something good they’ve done. Or you can find a few people that you can thank just for being who they are: Thank you for being so easy to work with. Thank you for being so pleasant to be around. Thank you for having a great attitude.

Sometimes, someone will say something to you that helps us to stay on track. We just needed a little affirmation, a thank you, a comment from someone that they noticed something good about us. That’s so important in our lives.

You never how a simple thank-you can make a difference in someone's day, maybe even determine the direction of their decisions.

Paul often began his letters with words of thanks. You see it in several of his letters. A good example is in Philippians...

3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, – Philippians 1:3

There's an even better example is First Corinthians.

4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, – 1 Corinthians 1:4

Why is First Corinthians a better example? Because the church in Corinth was full of problems. There was a lot of stuff going on that shouldn't have been going on. Paul could have, very easily, begun his letter saying, "I am so disappointed in you. You are such an embarrassment to me. I don't know why I'm wasting my time with you." We may have been tempted to do that. But that's not what Paul did. Instead, he reminded these people, saying, "I always thank God for you."

What a great model to follow. Say thank you, even to people who aren't perfect. Your spouse, your kids, your friends, your classmates, your coworkers, your bosses. The clerks and waiters and everyone around us. They’re not perfect. Yet, they’re real people, with real issues, with real desires and wants, most often, just to be needed and recognized.

People may not always live up to your expectations, but can you still say thank you. You can still show your appreciation. That's where you start with thanks-doing. Just say it.

Another thing to do when you’re thankful is to make the most of it. I know that sounds different. If you're thankful for something, use it. Enjoy it. Make it part of your life.

I struggle with that one. I’m the kind who gets something new, and then I keep it safely put away so that nothing bad happens to it. That’s not the purpose of the gift, it’s not why you bought the item. It’s to be used.

I read about a boy who received a football for a present from a family friend. He loved that football and played catch with it whenever he could. The ball eventually got really beaten up. One day the man who gave it to him, came by and said, ‘do you still have the football I gave you?’ The boy said, ‘yes.’ The man said, ‘go get it and let’s play catch.’ When the boy brought the football out he apologized that it was so beaten up, but the man told him, he was thrilled it was beaten up, because that meant he really liked the ball and used it.