TWO SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL WORDS

THANK YOU. Two simple words, and yet, they can be so powerful!
I did not realize just how powerful they could be until the other night.
 Our church had Spring Revival last week. Although always spiritually uplifting, this week can also be physically taxing, especially where the pastor's family (hi! that's us!) is concerned.
Well, after revival service one night (my husband was still at the church), I was folding laundry, cleaning up our kitchen, trying to get the boys ready for bed, feeling VERY exhausted and, yes, a little unappreciated. My oldest son walks up to me and says (with a little hug), "Mommy, you work hard for us. Thank you!". I didn't know what to say for a second. I then gave him a big hug. Do you know, that "thank you" gave me more of an energy boost than anything else could! It made such a big difference to me for the rest of the week. Wow!
I think that we often take those two simple words for granted. When we are out in public, do we thank the waitress for refilling our drinks or even for clearing off our table? How about that cashier who has just checked us out? If we do say thank you, do we say it as something we're just supposed to say, or do we actually look at them and say it with meaning? This could make a big difference to someone who is having a terrible day or has been dealing with cranky customers.
Have you thanked your spouse for the things that he or she does for you? For example,if your husband takes out the trash, thank him! That may sound trivial, but sometimes we take our spouses and what they do for granted, especially if we have been married for a while. Those two words are very important in the marriage relationship.
How about God? When was the last time you thanked Him for what He has done for you? He loves to hear our praises and thanksgivings. The Bible is full of passages that tell us so. He does SO much for us, EVERY day! I think back to the way I was feeling that night, then how I felt after my son told me thank you. I wonder if God feels the same way when we thank Him, not with just a perfunctory "Thank You", but with a heartfelt and meaningful THANK YOU!
How about it? Let's try to use those two simple, yet powerful words more often, not just with other people, but with our God!

Have a wonderful and blessed day!
Beth :-)