Why Gratitude Should Be at the Top of Your List Today

I’d like to think that I’m pretty good at showing my gratitude on a daily basis, but boy, when I stop and really reflect on all the blessings in my life, I have fallen short on being very intentional about showing my true appreciation to some people.

 Thankfulness and gratitude defined:

Thankfulness: thank·ful (thăngk′fəl) adj. 1. Aware and appreciative of a benefit; grateful. 2. Expressive of gratitude.

Gratitude: the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

On a daily basis, I’m sure to say thank you to the waitress that refills my tea glass. I express my gratitude to the man that holds the door open for me, and I tell David thank you for standing out in the freezing temperatures while he’s filling up my gas tank.

But when I slow down and really stop to think about all the little and big ways that people have poured into my life, I’m overwhelmed. I’m humbled that God would have cared so much about me that He placed certain people in my life to fill a need of my heart.

My life is a compilation of a multitude of people who have chosen to do things in order for me to survive…people have prayed for me, they’ve taught me, they’ve loved me, they’ve served me, they’ve helped me, they’ve given to me…the list goes on and on.

And I am who I am today because of all of these individuals.

If it weren’t for my parents, I wouldn’t be here (obviously) but I also wouldn’t have been able to rise above being a single mom at the age of 17. They’ve done countless things for me over the years, but their unconditional love, support and encouragement have helped me overcome adversity. They’ve made many sacrifices for me over the years, including my Dad volunteering to watch our two young kids for six months while David was in the hospital. “Thank You, Mom & Dad!”

When I was in high school, there was an incredible woman who poured into the lives of girls whose bellies were growing because they were pregnant. Mrs. Nelson was one of the counselors at my high school, and she facilitated a small group that met every week. It was during this time that I came to terms with my new situation, and I gained confidence that I could overcome the feelings of discouragement, failure and fear of the future.

Mrs. Nelson encouraged us and supported us to pursue our education and not to give up. She created a safe place for us to come together, where nobody was staring or judging us. She cared deeply for each of us. Because of her, I finished high school with honors and I went on to college so I could provide for my baby girl. “Thank You, Mrs. Nelson!”

I absolutely love the definition of the word “thankfulness.” It states that you must be “aware and appreciative of a benefit; grateful”. When I think about it, I don’t always take the time to be very AWARE! Life is crazy busy and while I might say a quick verbal thank you, it’s not the same as intentionally focusing my heart on the moments of blessing and actually expressing my personal gratitude towards that person.

While I cannot possibly write about all of the special people who have ever blessed me in this blog post, I am trying to be much more AWARE of the people who need to hear how thankful I am for them and what they’ve done for me. I’m trying to be more intentional. In a world of texting and social media, we don’t write many thank you notes anymore. I don’t pick up the phone and call someone very often.

I’ve committed to writing an actual, physical note or making a phone call to someone every week this year to express my thanks. I know how amazing it feels to get an unexpected envelope in the mail from a friend in the pile of bills and junk mail. I want to bless someone with a personal note of gratitude.

This week, I sent a note to a friend of our family who helped my family considerably. Back on August 20, 1999 when I called my Mom in Minnesota and told her that David had just been in an explosion and was severely burned and they needed to come to Texas as soon as possible, she wasn’t sure how she’d ever be able to make all the arrangements with the airlines. She made a few quick calls, one to this friend, Al.

Al worked for one of the major airlines, and he offered to take care of everything. In a matter of mere minutes, Al arranged for my parents and our dear friend Gordon to fly out within a couple of hours. They made it to the hospital the night of David’s accident and were able to surround me with their love and support. Without Al’s help, this would have been nearly impossible. Even though my note of gratitude will be arriving 16 years after the fact, I hope Al will realize what a blessing he was to my family. It’s never too late to say thank you. “Thanks, Al!”

Let’s face it- Life can be hard. But thankfully, God doesn’t intend for us to do life on our own. He places people all around us to help us. I think it’s important for us to express our appreciation to these people.

Is this something you could do as well?

Do you need to become more AWARE of the people who have blessed you in the past and could you take a moment to either call them, meet with them or write a note to them to express your thankfulness?