Thank You...

I would like to pause for a moment and shift directions briefly in an attempt to ensure you that humanity will overcome if we remember the simple lessons of life.

Having said that, it has come to me by reasonably reliable authority that the mark of culture and the stamp of breeding is to be measured by the use of what society calls etiquette. We are characterized as either polite or impolite, rude or refined, by our ability or inability to make proper use of etiquette. Etiquette says there are certain responses for certain situations. If you ask for a favor, it is anticipated or assumed that you will preface your request with the word, "please." If you make a mistake or an error, you indicate your chagrin with the words, "I'm sorry or excuse me." If you need to interrupt others, either in their conversation or in an activity, it is correct to say, "pardon me." And when someone does something for you or with you, it is appropriate to say in response to his or her kindness, "Thank you." This is the lesson of good etiquette.

I wanted to bring this to your attention only because we are living in a world that has lost nearly all sense of propriety and order. I've observed that often we don't know what to do, how to do, or when to do we just do! People will run over you and never look back to say, "excuse me." They will ask you for the world and expect you to give it to them and never say a word about, "please." There are those who will take you and everything about you for granted and never once say the words, "thank you." And of all the breeches of etiquette, I don't know of one that cuts more deeply or wounds more openly than the failure of a person who owes you to say, "Thank you." 

A person can have all the position that they need, their financial resources may be superior to others around them, their educational attainments may be far more above their peers, but if you don't have enough sense to say, "I'm grateful," if you don't have enough learning to say, "thank you," something is seriously wrong with you.

I have to say that I don't know why, I can't imagine why, a person would not be able to say, "thank you." As I pondered the inability to say, thank you, it occurred to me that it may be there are those who are unaware that they ought to express thanks. It appears to me that they don't ever worry about why things happen or what causes things to be. To wake up each day without a care in the world, is a privilege that millions will never experience. Yet when you have it all, that sense of thanks becomes null and void. It's just not in their vocabulary. They have a hard time expressing thanks, but where I come from, if you can't say thank you, that's a reflection on your upbringing and home basic training. So, I wonder when was the last time they...forget about an acquaintance, or friend! When was the last time they thanked God! You may have loads money, but it doesn't mean you have manners. You may be poor but you can be polite. Everybody ought to learn to say, thank you.

I read in a passage of scripture, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, it said, "In everything give thanks...." This is a challenge in the day and times we currently live. It's easy to give thanks when things are going well. It's mighty convenient to be grateful when things are positive. When all is going well in your world, it's relatively easy to say, thank you. But this scripture says, "In everything give thanks..." It is no test of faith to say thank you when the sun is shining. It does not create character when everything you touch turns to gold. It's not hard to be thankful when every idea is a stroke of genius or when every morning is the dawn of a day that is better than the day before. "Spoiler Alert," if you can't thank God, it's a safe bet, you can't thank anyone else. So, etiquette is not just extended in the times or moments of prosperity but we have to learn to be thankful in trying times as well. Yeah, when your world turns upside down, be thankful. When sickness invades you home, and those you love, be thankful. When hard times put you down, when bad times knock you down and rough times hold you down, be thankful. You see my friends, if nothing ever happened to us, God wouldn't have to do anything for us, and then there would be no need to ever say, "Thank you." 

Here is my seed for life; the reason we should learn to thank God is because, He assures us that, "all things work together for good to them that love God..." For this, I say, "Thank You!"