Dear Friends, I am not the world’s best list maker. I generally operate fine without them. I do not mean to imply that I listlessly walk the face of the earth because there come moments when those who refuse steadfastly reject the practice of list-making will formulate a “to do list” as a matter of surviving the chaos. Returning from vacation strikes me as one of those occasions when all who avoid the orderliness of list-making. Such was the case as Cramer and I returned from a vacation early in our marriage. At the top of that particular list was mowing the yard. Last minute emergencies at work had prevented me taking care of the chore prior to our leaving and I knew it would be jungle requiring immediate attention. I recall telling Cramer about the yard work as we pulled into the neighborhood. Imagine my surprise to find the yard freshly mowed and trimmed. I told Cramer that I could kiss whoever did the favor for me. The bad news about impulsive commitment was that the anonymous yard guy turned out to be Cliff Ater. I did not yet know Cliff well because at that point I had been his pastor for only a couple of months. Cliff was a crusty old Marine Vet who had been wounded on Guam during the War and was my Ad Council Chair that year. I wrote him a thank you note: “Dear Cliff, when I saw that our yard had been mowed, I told Cramer that I was going to kiss whoever did it, but when I discovered it was you I decided to write a note instead...” He told me how he chuckled about that note for the rest of the day. We were solid after that exchange. It is funny how a simple gesture can impact a relationship. Cliff was a generous man who appreciated being thanked, but never demanded it. Most of us share the same appreciation. We have been taught from early childhood to extend the courtesy of a “thank you.” “What’s the magic word,” we ask our children. “Thank you…” What we regard as mere common courtesy is instead an outward expression of a deeper spiritual reality that crosses sectarian and doctrinal borders: thankfulness. Living thankfully is the patina of faith cutting to the chase of who we are by reminding us that we are social creatures who depend on each other and God. Thankfulness adds the necessary humility to our souls that we may avoid the kind of hubris that diminishes the relationships God intends for us. The spiritually mature person lives with thankfulness. Grace & Peace, Hill
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 14:32:05 +0000
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