BEING THANKFUL
One of our newly licensed Lay Ministers, Tim Jeffery, preached a couple of memorable sermons on giving thanks last month. Thank you Tim! Totally coincidentally this was followed by our curate Sophie putting a post on Facebook a week later, advising that it was ‘thank the vicar week’. I had absolutely no idea, but it was lovely to walk into the Community Centre one morning and have two people thank me for being their vicar (or rector even!)
In his sermons Tim reminded us of how being thankful is not only for the sake of the one being thanked, although it is always lovely to be thanked and it brought a smile to my face that morning. But what is sometimes even more powerful, is what it does for the person doing the thanking. Being thankful brings joy and appreciation for what we have, and is a statistically proven remedy for improving mental health.
Some might feel that there is no need to give thanks to people who are just fulfilling a God given calling, whatever that may be – whether it’s a call to serve coffee, do the gardening, clean the church, love our neighbour, or be the vicar! But it’s interesting isn’t it, that even Jesus commented with seeming surprise, that only one of the 10 lepers he had healed returned to thank him. It would seem that even God recognised the importance of our being thankful people.
At the end of one of Tim’s sermons I gave the congregation present a challenge. I’d like to extend that to all those that read this. The challenge was to write a note to someone that you’d like to thank. But don’t sign the note – send it anonymously. I shared how a few months ago I found a note like this left for me on my office desk. It was a beautiful note thanking me for who I am and the work I do, and somehow it was all the more meaningful because it was anonymous. The sender was offering sincere thanks and all I could do was receive it. There was no ‘paying the giver back’ because I didn’t know who the giver was. And it transformed my day.
Who might you write to this month? As you think about it I’d encourage you to think not only of those who have an obvious impact in our church/community/town, but also those whose work might go unseen and yet serve with love, maybe rarely receiving any thanks. Make their day and send them a thank you card.
And in addition to this challenge, here’s one more for every day of this month. Think of one thing (at least) every day, to give thanks to God for. Write it down and pray a prayer of thanks every day incorporating each of these things. By day seven you will have seven things to give thanks for. By the end of the month you will have 30. Wow! Notice how praying the prayer effects your relationship with God, others and the world.
I give thanks for each one of you!
Hannah
In his sermons Tim reminded us of how being thankful is not only for the sake of the one being thanked, although it is always lovely to be thanked and it brought a smile to my face that morning. But what is sometimes even more powerful, is what it does for the person doing the thanking. Being thankful brings joy and appreciation for what we have, and is a statistically proven remedy for improving mental health.
Some might feel that there is no need to give thanks to people who are just fulfilling a God given calling, whatever that may be – whether it’s a call to serve coffee, do the gardening, clean the church, love our neighbour, or be the vicar! But it’s interesting isn’t it, that even Jesus commented with seeming surprise, that only one of the 10 lepers he had healed returned to thank him. It would seem that even God recognised the importance of our being thankful people.
At the end of one of Tim’s sermons I gave the congregation present a challenge. I’d like to extend that to all those that read this. The challenge was to write a note to someone that you’d like to thank. But don’t sign the note – send it anonymously. I shared how a few months ago I found a note like this left for me on my office desk. It was a beautiful note thanking me for who I am and the work I do, and somehow it was all the more meaningful because it was anonymous. The sender was offering sincere thanks and all I could do was receive it. There was no ‘paying the giver back’ because I didn’t know who the giver was. And it transformed my day.
Who might you write to this month? As you think about it I’d encourage you to think not only of those who have an obvious impact in our church/community/town, but also those whose work might go unseen and yet serve with love, maybe rarely receiving any thanks. Make their day and send them a thank you card.
And in addition to this challenge, here’s one more for every day of this month. Think of one thing (at least) every day, to give thanks to God for. Write it down and pray a prayer of thanks every day incorporating each of these things. By day seven you will have seven things to give thanks for. By the end of the month you will have 30. Wow! Notice how praying the prayer effects your relationship with God, others and the world.
I give thanks for each one of you!
Hannah