When someone does something good to us or extend some kindness or gestures to us, we say thank you. Thank is a way of showing gratitude and appreciation for the good done to us. When we say thank you, it means we have through words of affirmation reveal the gratitude hidden in our minds. There’s a popular adage that says, “When you thank a giver he gives more.”
Thanking people for being good and nice to you is learned behavior. It is first and foremost taught at home by parents and anchored by teachers when kids start schools. It’s a proper thing to express thanks for whatever we receive: it does not matter how little or intangible it is. What matters is that you show the giver that you’re grateful and appreciates the gift or gesture and of course the giver. Sometimes we may be grateful and do not show or say it. What use does it make to be grateful and do not say or show it? You have to express thanks by verbalizing and showing it in your smiles and body movement. It re-enforces that spirit of the adage; the giver is glad to know that you appreciate him and his gift. That also gives opportunity for future gifts and gestures.
In our world, many who are richly blessed are not willing to give out to another; when they give, it is to those who give to them. When we were young we were taught to say: “thank you”, “I am sorry” and “excuse me.” We were taught that anytime someone gives us something or show some kind gestures to us, we must appreciate it and say thank you. For example: If you told my parents or grand parents that someone gave you something, even without seeing what it was, they first thing that they asked you was: what did you say to the person? That culture may not just have been peculiar to our family alone. Most old folks were raised that way. How we have passed this culture over years to the younger generation depends on the depth of our conviction that it was a good thing to do. However, when we are taught how to appreciate a giver, it means it is also a gesture we expect from one we give something or show kind gestures to. In a couple of occasions I have witnessed where kids grab things from their parents and walk way saying nothing. The parents did not see anything wrong with that behavior. When I asked why the kid say nothing, they simply said, do not mind the naughty kid. We have to instill the spirit of gratitude into our lives and that of our children. The alternative is nothing worth having: its ingratitude and unthankfulness.
If we could appreciate human gifts, how much more do we appreciate God, Most High who is the giver of life and every good and perfect gift? He created the heaven and earth and all that’s in it. The air and every flying object, the depth and all the lives under the waters [fishes and animals]; the land span and all that dwells it including mankind. Even as He created man in His image and likeness, it is a creation that is marvelous and wonderful, compared to nothing yet made. The more reason we should be thankful and praise Him. He created the air we breathe, the water we drink, bath and wash ourselves and belongings; the land we live on, toil in and obtain our foods, build our houses, roads and centers for learning and recreations as well as return to when we die. Most importantly, in His unconditional love He gave us His son, Jesus Christ that through His death and resurrection, He redeemed us and restored us to the Father. To ensure we live and walk faithfully in His grace, Jesus asked of the Father and sent us the Holy Spirit, another comforter and helper. This incredible God deserves incredible praise and hearty thanksgivings.
I do not think we should take God’s gifts for granted. The scripture is full of expressions of thanks to God for who He is and for His manifold blessings. The book of Psalms is a compilation of songs of praise and thanksgivings to the God of creation. Here the Psalmist most times interchanges praises, thanks and magnifies as well as blessed. Just to mention but a few: Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints is his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness…Oh Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee forever [30:4, 12]; I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth [34:1]; O come let us sing unto the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms [95:1-2]; O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people [105:1]; Give thanks to the Lord because He’s good and his love endures for ever [106:1; 107:1]. I will give a loud thanks to the Lord; I will praise Him in the assembly of the people [111:1]. Give thanks to the Lord because He is good and his love is eternal…..in my distress I called to the Lord and He answered me and set me free [118:1, 5]. The Psalms 136, 138, 145 are great songs of thanksgiving. The Psalms 107:2 emphasizes, let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy [107:2].The Apostle Paul writes, in all things give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you [1 Thessalonians 5;18].
If we could thank and honor our earthly parents for ushering us into this life we live and the kings for their imperfect leadership, then how much more shall we thank God for creating, availing and protecting us and the lives we live; the creator of all living things. He is the King of kings; deserves more praise and thanks. Finally, the popular biblical story of Jesus healing the ten lepers would not have made such impression and impart to human hearts but for the fact that one among them returned to say thank you. He was not only healed as the other nine but made whole; he will never have the sickness or any other illness anymore.
The expression of thanks is neither yearly nor daily thing but second by second as events occur nor things happen. The more we appreciate a giver we open door to more gifts and learn to do likewise.