Richard M. DuVoss, one of the

cofounders of Amway Corporation, told how he purposely rose early one

morning to thank his garbage man for his services.

DuVoss did so because the man

was so punctual, careful and quiet. The fellow was so shocked that he

drove off without saying a word. DuVoss rose early to meet the same garbage

worker three weeks in a row before he got a response. Finally, after four

thank yous, the astounded man said, "In 12 years, nobody ever told

me they appreciated what I do. You are the first person ever to thank

me."

I'm afraid we don't say "thanks"

often enough, do we? When we make a point to say "thank you,"

we make others feel better and ourselves as well.

When I worked at the Home Mission

Board in Atlanta 20 years ago, my coworker in the office next door was

a senior adult named Ella Keller. She was the sweetest lady and she took

this young newly wed under her wing. She was a very generous person who

often insisted on sharing whatever she brought for lunch with me, just

to be sure that I got enough to eat.

One of the things she shared

with me was good, practical advice: "it's always right to show thanks."

She did so often as she wrote thank you notes every week to someone who

blessed her life. She often said to me, "Thank you for being my friend."

Giving thanks is not only proper

etiquette, but also is commanded by God. In I Thessalonians 5:18, the

Bible says, "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you." We are not commanded to give thanks for

every circumstance, but in whatever circumstance.

We are reminded of the importance

of thanksgiving in an event recorded in Luke's Gospel. In Luke 17:11-19,

Jesus is entering a village and is met by ten lepers. These diseased individuals

were required by law to keep their distance, but they recognized Jesus

and knew he could help them. So they cried out for mercy. Jesus told them

to go show themselves to the priests so the priests could verify their

healing. As they were going, they were healed.

One of the lepers, upon realizing

he was healed, returned to Jesus, glorified God, fell down in humility,

and gave thanks. Interestingly, Jesus notes that there were ten lepers

who were healed, and only one returned to show gratitude. Where were the

others?

I don't want to stretch his

question too far, but I wonder if we only give thanks about 10 percent

of the time. I wonder if about 90 percent of us take our blessings for

granted, or fail to express our gratitude?

I was eating in a restaurant

recently, and the server brought a person's order and placed it in front

of him. He didn't even acknowledge the waitress and failed to give a simple

"thank you." How hard is it to say "thanks?" How often

do we omit that simple courtesy? How often do we complain instead of expressing

gratitude?

Norman Vincent Peale told about

a man who was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The man had been a

very vital, dynamic person, but now he was not his old self at all. A

friend suggested that he try "thanksgiving therapy." He suggested

that the man sit down and make a list of all the people who had helped

him through the years. Then he was to fill his mind with thankfulness

for all these and for all they had done for him. His friend asked if he

had ever thanked anybody. "No, I never really put much stress on

that," was the reply.

Next, the friend advised him

to think of someone who especially had blessed his life and to write that

person a letter thanking him or her. He thought of a school teacher, now

a very old lady. He sat down and wrote the teacher a letter telling her

that he remembered the inspiration she had given him, how he had never

forgotten her across the years, and how much he loved her.

A few days later he received

a letter written in a trembling hand. The letter read, "Dear Willie,

when I think back over all the children I've taught in my lifetime, you

are the only one who ever wrote to thank me for what I did as a teacher.

You have made me so happy. I have read your letter through my tears. I

have it by my bedside and I read it every night. I shall cherish your

letter until the day I die."

This did so much for him that

he thought of someone else to write and then someone else and before he

was through, he had written 500 unexpected letters of thanks. The therapy

of thanksgiving gave him a new perspective and had much to do with bringing

him out of his deep depression. He was so grateful for every new day,

and lived with a new sense of thanksgiving.

Do you live with a sense of

thanksgiving? Do you need to tell someone, "thanks?"

The Rev. Dr. David L. Chancey

is pastor, McDonough Road Baptist Church, Fayetteville. The church family

meets at 352 McDonough Road; Bible study Sundays at 9:45 a.m. and worship

at 10:55 a.m. Visitors welcome.

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