Don't Wait to Appreciate

For reasons I won't disclose, today I felt under-appreciated. We all hit those moments, as a parent, worker, teacher, pastor, even as a child or student. Perhaps it's a disease of sorts, pandemic and contagious, as we feel that way, we pass along the problem.

So I decided to try a counterattack, an antidote if you will. What if we expressed our appreciation proactively? For example, when someone retires or gets a new position, the workplace throws a celebration, so they will know they are appreciated. Wouldn't it be nice to know that while you still work someplace? What if we celebrated people for staying, not leaving? I know some companies do this, but typically as a group...what if a company celebrated their boss for staying, instead of waiting until they retire? Or a church their pastor or a school their principal? Think of how morale would rise at work if everyone felt appreciated.

Years ago it hit me how we say all manner of kind things at funerals, and sometimes the deceased person never heard those stories. I wrote letters to my parents, the kind of things you would say at those moments, while they were still alive. What a blessing I did so, as they both died young, and my mother suddenly and unexpectedly.

What if we also expressed our gratitude to those people who serve us and we commonly are frustrated by? We've been having issues with our postal service lately, and I thought of complaining. But I never have commended them for all their successful deliveries. I decided to write a happy note instead.

When I'm in a store or restaurant and someone does a good job, I ask for the manager and brag on the employee. I'm quick to complain if something is wrong, so I decided to balance the equation by noting what is right.

As I was pondering all this it made me think of God. We can go days taking for granted all God does for us. We breathe and eat and have shelter and water and friends and family, without saying nary a word to God about it. But let that first frustration come along, that disappointment, that call that didn't go our way, and we have no trouble calling up the management so to speak to voice our complaint.

Yet days go by in which the sun always does it's job even when we can't see it and gravity holds us down and God guides our steps but we say little in return. Certainly no one suffers the lack of appreciation experienced by God. Like the retirement analogy, let's not wait until we retire from this life to tell God we are grateful for the daily graces that keep us alive.

My blogs aren't usually this preachy, but I needed to hear it. :) This season especially, let's offer the antidote of gratitude into a world of frustrated hardworking people feeling unseen and underappreciated. One just might be you!

Glory

When I awoke the sun emblazoned the world into gold
As if during these winter days with few hours to shine
The sun wanted to remind us of it's capability of great glory
As the sun set the sky again glowed with heavenly light
Perhaps a reminder that even when our time is short
A short time to talk to someone
A short day to get our work done
A short life compared to eternity
We too are still capable of great glory