My parents were always very strict on the matter. Whenever a friend gave me a gift I had to utter two little words or risk a withering maternal glare. Whether it was a longed-for toy or an oh so useful pencil, "thank you" was the expected response. And rightly so, it's a privilege to receive any gift - giving is an act of love and provision which should always result in gratitude.
As an adult, the habit remains. It's almost a reflex response ... Someone passes me a cup of tea (preferably peppermint) and "thanks, that's great" immediately springs from my lips.
At least it remains when it comes to other humans. When it comes to God, my response is often far slower. Which is why I was fascinated when a friend of mine shared an evening routine she has recently developed:
Every night before she goes to bed, she thanks God for 10 things.
I tried it last night ... and it was great! It didn't take long and it was a wonderful reminder of just how generous God is (which, in itself, is a great antidote to my grumpy tendencies!).
I could thank God for the teaching at church, the encouragement of my Christian friends, some wonderful food and the people attending my congregation's Christianity Explored course. I could be grateful for the wonder of the created world, the fact my front door is less swollen than it was and is starting to close properly again, the privilege of having a job I love and the wonder of being able to point others to Jesus in one-to-one Bible reading partnerships. And, of course, I could praise God for his awesome gift of grace and his unfailing presence.
It didn't take long to get to 10. I could have gone on for ages ... I could even have been brave enough to thank God for generally less popular gifts like singleness which he has so lovingly lavished on me. But I can leave that for tonight ... I'll definitely be doing it again. And it occurred to me that this is something I could do with a friend too - a chat over the washing up, just throwing out things to be thankful for...
So, why not give it a go? It doesn't have to be 10 things, it doesn't have to be done in the evening, and it doesn't need to become a daily rule ... but when we truly take the time to remember just how amazingly generous God has been, it's wonderful to respond in heartfelt thanks.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures for ever. (Psalm 118:1)
