Thank you!

Thankfulness. Appreciativeness. Gratitude.

Saying "thank you" is something I do every day many times. When someone opens a door, when someone makes me a cup of coffee, when I receive service in a shop or restaurant. Often in emails to those in ministry with me. Thank you is part of my 'staple verbal diet'.

I think that whenever I say it I really mean it. But sometimes it may be an automatic reaction - and it should be that whenever someone does something I appreciate that I do say the words - but maybe I should just hit my internal pause button so that I am really registering what they have done and why they have done it.

Sometimes people do things simply because they happen to be in the right place, other people do things because they are being paid to do so, yet again others do things because they want to serve, even in some small way. I guess most of these don't do it for thanks but simply from their own humanity.

I am currently on a spiritual retreat with other church leaders. There are ample opportunities to say 'thank you' to those who are serving us and to my friends here. I also have the space and time to think seriously about what I am saying and my motivation in saying it. Perhaps through this task I will deepen not only my appreciation of others but possibly my relationship with them.

Maybe tomorrow I'll list out those who I was able to thank - hopefully the list will be too long!

Thank you, no, thank you ...

"Thank you". 

Because I was brought up well I use these two words many times every day. I thank my secretary for the cup of coffee as I arrive in the office. In thank the person I chat with on the phone for their time. I thank the shop assistant, the bank clerk and the call centre worker. I thank my wife for brilliant ideas, i thank my children when they fulfil tasks.

"Thank you".

But do I really mean it? I say it so often perhaps it loses it's power. Maybe if I stopped and thought for a moment I would say more than "thank you" - or possibly less. Perhaps I have made it just a convenient way of ending a conversation...

Today is about gratitude with #40acts .

I have already, at the start of today written a thank you note (well, email) and very sincere it was too. I should have many opportunities to say "Thank you" today so I am going to go a step further. I am setting myself the challenge to add something. Whenever I say those two words I will add "...for..." . That will ensure that I really think about my reason for thanking.

Thank you for reading!