Wednesday, July 5, 2017

                Ever since I can remember I have always procrastinated about writing thank-you letters. When I was but a child my mother would nag and nag me and then probably threaten some dire consequence so that I would write my thank-you notes for birthday or Christmas presents from relatives – usually my grandmother.  

                “Dear Grandma, thank you for the knitted mittens.”

                “Dear Grandma, thank you for the socks.”

                “Dear Grandma, thank you for the book.”

                Perhaps I was just an ungrateful little whelp, but mostly I just kept putting it off, hoping my mother would give up. She never did! Finally, I would scrawl off a thank-you note.

                So, it is many, many years later that my dear wife, Susan, has, oh so gently, been reminding me that I need to write a few thank you notes for those who sent flowers or took part in the memorial service for my mother. She has even bought the notes. For no good reason, I am putting it off. I can write these blogs without blinking an eye, so why is a brief simple, thank you note so difficult?

                I suppose I could write them all emails, but it seems their thoughtfulness deserves a personal, hand-written, stamped and posted, heart-felt thank-you. If they went to all the effort, then so should I. It is only good manners, the polite and respectful thing to do. I can hear my mother telling me for the umpteenth time to get going at it.

                Well, maybe tomorrow…

                The current cultural argument is that we live in a day and age of entitlement.  This generation, so some say, seems to act as if they are owed a good life and all the perks of a comfortable lifestyle. It reminds me of the youngest brother in the parable of the prodigal son who demands his share of his inheritance immediately. Many a commentary will tell you that it was as if he was wishing for his father’s early death, so he could profit from it. But he couldn’t wait and off he went, without so such as a thank-you, I expect.

                There is another gospel story about Jesus’ encounter with ten lepers, the pariahs and outcasts of Jesus’ time, the miserable untouchables who were often ostracized from their homes, families and communities. According to the story the ten lepers begged Jesus for his help. Jesus stopped to help them, and granted them a clean bill of health.

                Perhaps they were just so excited and relieved to be free of their disease. Perhaps they wanted to see their families. Perhaps they wanted to get to the priest before the parish doors were closed and locked for the day as they needed the priest’s sign-off.  But only one of the ten actually stopped in his tracks and returned to thank Jesus. The twist in this story was that it was a lowly, no-good, dirty Samaritan who had the presence of mind to thank Jesus for the marvellous gift of new life and restoration he had received.

                Even Jesus seemed a little perplexed at the situation. “Were not ten made clean? Where are the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”  (Luke 17:17)

                Thankfulness sows seeds in many ways. Although a person may not be doing the kindness just to get thanked, but our thankfulness helps us to create deeper bonds of friendship and compassion.  To be thankful encourages us to pass the grace and compassion on to others. Thankfulness is a gift onto itself. Thankfulness needs to be expressed to be really effective and meaningful. It is an interaction between giver and receiver that embraces both in mutual love and affection.

                “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:12)

Dale