Give Thanks Always

It’s Thanksgiving time in America and if you expected something other than a blog about being Thankful, you are probably not familiar with how hard it can sometimes be to find inspiration for yet another blog when you feel like you just wrote one a minute ago.

When it comes to Thanksgiving time, I think everyone feels a little more motivated to focus on our blessings, to be grateful for them, and to express thanks to God.

But, what about a commitment to thanking those whose lives only get harder from the week before Thanksgiving through the end of the calendar year? We might complain about long lines, inconvenient changes in the checkout help, rising prices, rigid store policies, etc. But what about the poor clerks who have to wait on us? Are their lives better or worse for having to wait on the frantic, frazzled and frustrated shoppers?

This came to mind this year when I, against my better judgment and my husband’s sound advice, headed to Wal-Mart mid-evening on the night before Thanksgiving day.

As I patiently stood in an exceptionally long line, super excited to have found Sonic the Hedgehog PJ’s in the right sizes to give my twin grandsons on Thanksgiving I maintained my patience. I even picked up a small bouquet of flowers that the guy behind me thought better of and just discarded on top of the candy at checkout. [Side note: Bet that was a story.]

I was feeling good, chatting up the cashier, who looked like she’d rather be having a root canal, and thinking I could charm a smile out of her. [I did not.]

Much to my dismay, the cashier, noting that the PJ’s would not ring up, whipped out her phone, checked something and said, “those are Black Friday items. You’ll have to come back Friday.” My look must have said, “Are you INSANE, woman?”, because hers got suddenly very “deer in the headlights”. I said, “So they are out there for sale, but I cannot buy them?” “Not until Friday.”

As I mentally took a beat (which may have seemed like 20 minutes to the stressed-out cashier), I relaxed enough to mumble “Okay” and let her finish ringing me up. But that was not the end of my gratitude lesson.

I had divided my purchases into three sets – the PJ’s and other stuff for the grands, medicines that I buy with my FSA card, and some stuff for Sabbath school, which I buy on a card solely for church expenses. [I’m sure they love that kind of stuff.] Before she got to the third group, it hit 7:00 pm and my cashier was replaced so she could go home.

I am sorry to say that I was reaching the limit of my ability to deep breathe through it all, but a look at my first cashier broke my heart. She was about to slink off like a totally defeated, beaten down puppy. And I realized what the day might have been like for her, standing on her feet, dealing with a constant throng of never-ending, frazzled humanity who possibly even took out their unhappiness at Wal-Mart running out of pumpkin pie (I had to buy sweet potato pie) or the crazy policy about putting on display but not selling Black Friday items, on her.

I handed her the flowers and said, “these are for you.” She took them, but just stared like she had no idea what was going on for a beat, and then nodded, said “thanks”, and left.

The new cashier gushed effusively about how nice that was, though she affirmed that I could not buy those PJ’s today. [You cannot blame a Gigi for trying.]

I doubt I will see that cashier again. But I hope when she got home and put those flowers in a vase, that seeing them at least caused her to maybe move humanity up from an F to a D+ for that day.

I hope you are thankful to God, especially this time of year when we see all those posts about thankfulness and get all those reminders from friends.

But please also keep in mind that, like my stressed-out cashier, there are so many people dealing with the worst of human traits at this time that gets called the “most wonderful time of year”. If you are stressed by rising prices, products shortages, long lines and unfriendly company policies, give a moment of thought to those who hear the complaints every day just so they can put their own overprice food on the table or high-priced gas into their cars.

Take time to be thankful, not because you do or don’t celebrate whatever holiday might be causing the long lines at the gas station, grocery stores and fast-food restaurants, but because expressing thanks to God isn’t all that is required of us. We should be thankful to others as well. Even when it’s difficult.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 [NLT] Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Yep, even when the lines are long, and prices are high and store policies seem ridiculous, be thankful. And every other day of the year.

I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me know in the chat or any time at Nancy@dyanmicchristianministries.org