Gift
The Value of a Thank You Note
I love receiving personal mail. Call me old fashion but there is something about walking out to the mailbox and discovering something other than a bill or advertisement addressed to ‘Resident’ or ‘Occupant.’
Perhaps social media has made us a bit lazy in this arena. We simply post a generic ‘Thanks’ to everyone and call it good. We shoot a text their way and check it off our list of things to do. Simply stated, personalized thank you’s have become a lost art.
Seeing someone took the time to write out my name on the envelop with a hand-written note on the inside is extremely rewarding. So I thought I’d give 10 reasons why a personalized note makes a difference.
- Reminds you, the sender that others took time to make your day or event special.
- The discipline of gratitude develops the character of contentment.
- Helps form a habit of thankfulness in your life. This makes you aware of other’s efforts in everyday situations.
- Let’s the giver know you’ve received the gift and appreciate them for it.
- Models a biblical principle. 2 Corinthians 9.11 – “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”
- Your gratitude is ‘spread forward’ reminding others to express it as well.
- Jimmy Fallon does it. (Expressing thanks is fun.)
- You stick out from the crowd. People remember you.
- People may keep your note to encourage them on their down days.
- Thank you notes make you a better communicator. Make a mistake with a text, simply erase and start over. Writing forces you to carefully weigh each word before placing it on the card.
Love to hear from you and what other benefits there are to writing a thanks you note.
AND…I know I’m violating my own post, but Thanks for following and reading. It encourages me to continue developing my skills as a grateful writer.
Don’t Hide This…
Hear about the elderly couple who received a cell phone as a gift from their kids?
A few days after receiving their new gift, one of their kids called them to check on them. No answer. This was followed an hour later by another call. No answer. 15 minutes later. No answer.
Worried now, the daughter jumped in her car, driving across town to her parent’s house. Upon arrival she found them sitting in the living room watching TV.
“Why didn’t you answer your phone?” The daughter asked with panic in her voice. “I called several times.”
“Oh, we put your gift in a safe place. It’s in the box, under our bed. We didn’t want to lose it.” Her mother remarked.
“Mother! You’re supposed to have the phone with you at all times,” the daughter yelled back. “The cell phone allows you to do things you were previously unable to do. You don’t hide it, you use it,” she went on to say.
What about you? What are you doing with the gifts God has given you? Sometimes it’s easy to neglect the gifts you’ve received.
1 Timothy 4.14 – “Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.”
Don’t neglect your gifts. They were given for a purpose.
Don’t keep your gift in a box…in a safe place. Use it. Take it out of the box.
My prayer for you this day is that doors open for you to use these gifts, to make a difference in the lives of others!
How are you using your gifts?
Photo courtesy of http://www.gratisography.com
:03 Seconds Left, He Shoots, Off the Rim…Again
The other day I decided to head down to the court and work on my 3-point game.
Needless to say my outside the 3-point arch game is in need of a resurrection. I had forgotten how far that orange ball could bounce after hitting that orange metal thing. 03…02…01…Whitlock shoots the jumper, off the rim, chase ball, repeat.
It was then that I first noticed him, out of the corner of my eye. A man walking toward my ball! Finally I wouldn’t have to chase the ball into the next county. Only then did I realized that he didn’t stop my ball from bouncing past him.
It was then that I really noticed him. I looked at him, actually his face. He seemed to be saying, “Sorry I didn’t get your ball.” I couldn’t believe it. He didn’t even seem to try to stop my ball from bouncing away. The ball had bounced within a couple of feet of him, just to his right. “Sowing and reaping, pal!” I thought.
It was then that I truly noticed him. He didn’t have a right arm. Funny how in the midst of our routine God brings people our way to teach us life lessons. My bouncing ball no longer had my attention. My heroic game-winning attempt with three seconds left in the game didn’t matter. The whole incident left me reeling. Chasing the ball after many missed shots pales in comparison to the daily obstacles this man must face.
There were 10 lepers. 10 outcasts. Jesus healed all 10 one day. Only one came back to thank Him…nine forgot, didn’t think about it, didn’t seem to care. (Luke 17.12-19)
Like you, there is so much I am thankful for: a wonderful family, the privilege of serving in ministry, terrific friends, a nice home, food, water. So I miss an occasional 3-pointer and have to chase down another youth pastor, speaker, convention site, band, registration, etc… the fact is that I have much to thank God for.
Not so long ago I was a leper in need of a merciful God. So allow me to encourage you to stop shooting, for a moment. Close your door, don’t answer the phone and thank our Father for His gift of life. We may get tired from chasing balls but the bottom line is that we can still shoot.
rodwhitlock 