Gratitude Caught and Taught

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 107:1 (NIV)

Maybe it's because we've just come through the Thanksgiving season and we're on the verge of the Advent season, but I've been thinking a lot lately about gratitude, what is is, and what is looks like. Some real life situations have helped clarify my thoughts.

Three UCLA freshman basketball players recently made national headlines for shoplifting designer sunglasses while in China. The three young men were arrested by Chinese officials. President Trump intervened on their behalf and the three men were released and allowed to return to the United States. An ego driven Twitter War followed with President Trump tweeting, "Do you think the 3 basketball players will say thank you President Trump? They were headed for ten years in jail." All three players eventually thanked President Trump for his intervention on their behalf. One player's father, however, dismissed the President's actions on his son's behalf and refused to say "Thank you." President Trump assessed the man's response with one word: "ungrateful."

About the same time this scenario was playing out in real time, Bruce and I received two thank you notes from our six year old granddaughter Julia. Her mom provided the pretty note cards, stamps, and instruction I'm sure, but the handwriting was clearly Julia's. One note read, "Mia and Papa, Thank you for the boots pjs and the bouncy ball and the pogo stick! love Julia." The second note read "Dear Brucie Thank you for the gingerbread house. love Julia"

It dawned on me that gratitude is taught as well as caught. I remembered how my own Mama always insisted on us quickly saying "Thank you." Mama was the one who taught me the importance of writing thank you notes. To this day, whenever Thelma Corbin's name is mentioned, Mama still says, "She hosted your bridal tea in her home. I will always be grateful." And 42 years later, Mama still is.

Julia's thank you notes are keepers for sure. But Julia gave me a much bigger gratitude lesson on Thanksgiving Day. After celebrating Thanksgiving lunch with her other grandparents, Julia and her parents arrived at our house late in the afternoon just in time for our Evans traditional Mee-Maw punch. People were still drinking punch, laughing, and telling stories when Julia asked me for my computer password. I signed on for her and returned to the kitchen and our guests. Whenever the girls come to our house, three year old Caroline heads for the big blocks and Julia heads for my computer to either play chess with her Papa or to type words. Today Julia was typing words. A few minutes later, Julia asked me to come and print her work. On the screen Julia had written:

"Thanksgiving is when we be thankful for something I am thankful for my family and bless the food and drink the water happy thanksgiving"

Thanksgiving isn't just a season; it's supposed to be a God-designed way of life. Julia's Thanksgiving is becoming her thanksliving. It is also becoming mine as I thank God for a Mama who taught me to quickly give thanks; a daughter who learned gratitude lessons well; and a granddaughter who is teachable. 

Ellen Vaughn in her wonderful book Radical Gratitude writes, "Ungratefulness- the refusal to glorify and thank God- is the clearest manifestation of the mother sin...(an) unwillingness to worship God as God, instead setting up the self and its own preferences as gods."

Unlike President Trump, God doesn't demand our gratitude. He does, however, invite us to give thanks, both for our good and His glory. 

"A grateful heart is a gift of grace." (Ellen Vaughn) 

"Euchristeo - God gives gifts of grace; we give thanks; the result is joy." (Ann Voskamp)