Thursday, November 27

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you. I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
—Psalm 9:1,2

Today many of us have traveled great distances for the giving of thanks. For months we have checked with family members and friends, making sure we know exactly who will be joining our gathering. We've cleaned the house, planned a menu with all the favorites, and spent the morning cooking. Thanksgiving is a “big deal.”

But the giving of thanks is a fairly simple thing to do.

“I'm glad you called,” a friend says.

Thank you.

In ever so few words we have connected, restored a bond of friendship, and in some way even blessed each other.

When I was young, I figured that it was best to give thanks right away. If I failed to do so, I tended to move ahead without expressing my gratitude.

It took me years to realize that sometimes the best thanks are given a decade or two after the event.

“You probably don't remember this, but I'd like to thank you for the advice you gave me twenty years ago. I've never forgotten it. Thank you.”

With the gift of time to see where we have traveled in life, there comes a new appreciation of how deeply we have been blessed. And, with that appreciation, new chances to say “thank you” arise. The conversation is not just curious—it is now deeply meaningful. And, as usual, it takes but a few words.

Thank you.

Thanks be to God. Thanks be to those who shaped our lives. Thanks be to those who almost forgot but didn't. Thank you.

And, on this day, thanks be to you, too.

God of life, remind us that it is never too late to give thanks. And help us remember the power of those two simple words—Thank you.