How many words are in a “thank you?”

From early childhood, most are taught that a niceness is acknowledged with words of gratitude.  When the little ones receive a gift for a birthday or just because they are beyond cuteness, parents often teach them to say thank you.  When a door is opened by a stranger, we are encouraged to always express gratitude for the gesture.  When a compliment is given for personal appearance, for the results of a great meal, for receiving a well-deserved raise or promotion.

For some gratitude becomes reactionary thing.  At times, this reaction is not even really meant, while at other times it comes from deep in the heart.  Sometimes, we feel entitled to what we just received and other times we feel totally undeserving.

I personally have been in much meditation about how to show my gratitude.  Many times, the reaction is one of those that hits the brain and issues from the mouth.  Then, in rapid retroflection, I realize I probably appeared a little flippant about it and then entered to a whole string how much the gift meant to me with all the reasons it was important to me.  I want to make sure that I appeared genuinely and sufficiently grateful.  Sometimes, those long dissertations become monotonous, embarrassing and out of proportion.

The truth is that I have not really deeply thought about what it means to be thoughtful in my gratitude and my expression of gratitude.  Well, at least, I haven’t done this many times.  I have, at times, tried to condense the expression a bit and move on to what is next in front of me.

“Dean Lord, thank you for this food we are about to eat.  We are grateful for your provision.  We ask that You bless this food and to guide our family in our lives. Please give us these things in the name of Jesus.”

Did I always mean this?  Probably not.  Sometimes, these kinds of things are just a ritual that we grew up being taught we needed to do every time we ate a meal.  We pretty much mean that but, in my case, I don’t actually think that issued always from my heart but from my training in rituals.

This morning, I open a bottle of medicine containing a three-month supply of the pills I need to take twice a day.    The top was hard to loosen and I put a good amount of pressure on the bottle as I loosened the top sending those pills all over that bathroom.  My first reaction was a bit of anger and frustration, which I soon repressed and went about collecting these life-improving pills.

I went to my desk, got a piece of paper and then to the broom closet to get the broom.  The bathroom floor was not pristine, I can assure you.  I started sweeping the bath and closet, making a pile.  While I was squatted done getting those pills recaptured, it occurred to me how thankful I should be.  I was able to run around to gather the tools, I had tools to gather, I could squat down and I could form a plan of recovery… so to speak.  There are so many times I certainly didn’t feel gratitude about what I was doing at that moment.

So, why would I share this little episode with others?  Because, I realized that I didn’t this time shoot up a prayer of gratitude and just move on.  For one of those too rare moments in my life, I thought about all the many reasons I should be grateful those pills exploded all over the bathroom.  These are some many reasons why I should be grateful.  Do I need to say all these this when I give thanks to God?

This time, I think my process may be the best for me to keep moving my heart in the direction I think God planned.  I aware this time fully aware of why.  Here is my prayer: “Father, thank You for this spill and lesson learned!”