It is, indeed, the season for us to give thanks for all that we have. And, for many of us, in this part of the world, we have more to be thankful for than most. The giving of thanks is an incredible practice — one that we will hopefully continue to fine tune for the rest of our days.
But what about giving the giving of thanks a slightly different twist? Rather than consider that for which I am thankful, maybe I should reflect on my own life, and whether it is a cause for someone else’s giving of thanks.
The truth is that each one of us has our fingerprints on the lives of every person we encounter. The question is, “Are we touching those lives with intention or not?” Do we give others reason to be thankful? Probably, for most of us, the answer is sometimes yes — and sometimes no.
While practice may not make perfect, it undoubtedly will make better. Like any other practice, we hone our skills by doing. Lucky for us, we are surrounded by opportunities to perfect our ability to be a reason for another human being to give thanks. In our homes, places of work, unemployment offices, gas stations, grocery stores, health clubs, doctor’s offices, planes, trains, cars, restaurants, check-out lines, street corners, cyberspace, telephone lines — even airport security lines. You name it … it is a place to perfect our craft.
If you are like me, sometimes you will get it right, sometimes not so much, and sometimes I will get it dead wrong. Thankfully, there will be other chances to practice right around the corner. And, for that, I am thankful.
The eSSSence of Molly Davis
Style: Courage, contentment and grace for all to see -- and a great pair of cowboy boots.
Substance: Pay attention to what matters.
Soul: We are part of something bigger than ourselves.
