As Thanksgiving approaches there will be numerous articles written, radio programs broadcasted, and television shows aired bringing to our attention the need to be thankful. Setting aside one day a year to remember, and acknowledge all the reasons we have to be thankful is a very good tradition. I encourage everyone to embrace this holiday; to be with friends and family and carefully consider how lucky we are to be American’s, living where we do, having food in the pantry and people who love us. Only, my goal this season was not to write about Thanksgiving simply because everyone else is, yet here I am mentioning Thanksgiving three times in the first paragraph. So, I’ve decided instead to focus my writing on You’re Welcome; it’s what happens after thanks.

Saying “You’re welcome” is the finale of a three part process initiated by an action; not just any action though. For instance, stepping on someone’s foot while dancing doesn’t usually lead to you’re welcome, nor would denting a car door in the grocery store parking lot. To arrive at the desired good outcome, the first step is to do something that brings joy, happiness, relief, comfort or love to another person, whether you know that person or not. An action is needed to start the process. Being thankful unto itself normally is a passive experience, and living in the level of good fortune that we do, begs for more than a passive gratitude.

Once you’ve done this good deed, it is natural for the recipient to say, “Thank you.” If you never do something good for someone; open their door, give up your place in line, hand over your coat to someone who is cold, then you may not ever hear thanks. But, being the good Christians that you are, accepting a thank you is common in your daily life. The final step in this Biblical process is the reply, “You are welcome.” It is heartwarming, and gratifying to say the words because they are the result of doing a good deed, and doing the right thing always feels good.

This year, let’s try to be more about doing, and less about being. Doing something that creates a thankful heart in another person, is equivalent to living the word of God.

Imagine the leap in love it takes to soar beyond reading His word to living it. Imagine the tsunami of love that you will receive in return.

Find a way this holiday to tell someone, you’re welcome.

Thanks for reading.

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