Giving Thanks

"O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good." (Psalm 107:1)

We were at a church picnic at the beach. Before we ate, the pastor stood up and gave the blessing. When he finished, we all started to eat, all except Michael. When I asked him why he didn’t dig into his hot dog, he answered,

"But Mom, we didn’t tell God thank you yet."

"The pastor did it, honey."

"But, Mom, doesn’t God want us to thank him, too?"

Our family paused, bowed our heads, and thanked God for our food. God does want us to thank him and not just leave it up to a pastor or a parent or some other authority figure. Our four-year-old son already knew that a hot dog is a gift from God and that he had his own responsibility to give thanks for that gift.

God isn’t the only one who appreciates a sincere thank-you. A smile and a grateful word for even a small courtesy recognizes the giver and rewards the effort. Children especially need that affirmation of their generous acts and small gifts. Too often we trivialize the many gifts given us in a day by failing to say thank you with either a word or a hug.

One of the great gifts God gave us is the ability to recognize the generous gifts of others and thank both God and the giver.

Beyond the Door
1. Here we are back to thanks again! It’s not surprising, since thanks to God is, or should be, part of our very life’s breath, as Michael pointed out at the picnic. What’s the last thing you thanked God for?

2. In The Sound of Music, Maria sings the song "My Favorite Things" and lists a host of items in nature and life for which she is thankful. What are a few of your everyday favorite things, things for which you are thankful?

3. The author says that hugs are a good way of saying thanks to children. What other ways might we show children how special they are to us?

4. "All Things Bright and Beautiful" from the musical Godspell is another song that encourages thanks to God for all God’s gifts. What other songs or hymns point you toward thankfulness to God?