A group of men were talking one day about people who had influenced their lives and to whom they were grateful. One of the men named Willie said that he was grateful for Mrs. Wendt, a schoolteacher who taught him 30 years ago. Another man asked him if he had ever told her. He replied that he had not. Willie later decided to write to his schoolteacher and thank her for being such an inspiration. Some time later he received the following letter written in a feeble scrawl.
My Dear Willie,
I can’t tell you how much your note meant to me. I am in my eighties, living alone in a small room, cooking my own meals, lonely and like the last leaf lingering behind. You will be interested to know that I taught school for fifty years and yours is the first note of appreciation I ever received. It came on a blue, cold morning and it cheered me as nothing has for years.
Love, Mrs. Wendt
The above letter really touched my heart. After fifty years of devoted teaching and probably several years of retirement, a lonely woman finally receives her first letter of gratitude when she is eighty plus years old. It is amazing what a few words of appreciation and true thankfulness can do for someone. Being appreciated is a wonderful stimulus and satisfaction.
Oftentimes the people most dear to us, such as our spouses, family, and close friends, are those that we fail to thank . There is also someone we forget to thank the most and that is our Heavenly Father. We often do not realize how much God has blessed us. Just to be able to see, write, sing, and speak are wonderful blessings. God has given us the ultimate gift of salvation and eternal life. Others may not remember us, but God never forgets. Each one of us is very dear to Him. The Bible says we are written on the palms of His hands. “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me” (Isaiah 49:16).
During this Thanksgiving season and throughout the year, let us all remember to thank those around us and especially thank our God for all good things come from Him. “…O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good…Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalms 106:1; 103:2).
Ly Lan Nguyen
