A simple thank you

How do you respond when someone gives you a gift that was unexpected? Do you respond with a simple thank you? Or are you like me who responds with “Thank you, but you didn’t have to.” God is teaching me the importance of receiving. He has endless resources and longs to bless and encourage when we need it the most. I believe that sometimes we get too caught up in our busy lives that we miss how God is looking out for us. God showed up in a powerful way not too long ago. He just wanted to remind me that He loves me.

Dinner Stop

We were on our way back from visiting our dear friends in Ohio. It was a wonderful time but we were all exhausted from the travel. By the time we got to a stop for dinner, I was toast and ready to be home and not be sitting upright in a van. I stood in the line at Wendy’s while my husband Jonathan took the boys to the bathroom. The girls were with me and full of energy. They were accidentally bumping into people in front of us. I worked hard to corral them. The boys joined us in line while my husband went to the bathroom and the level of energy went up. They were just being kids. But, I was tired and just needed a break. I didn’t want to bother the other people in line but of course the guy behind me was accidentally knocked. He assured me it was no problem. Jonathan arrived and took the kids to a table to wait. Phew!

Remember

As I continued waiting in line, the man behind me started to talk with me about life and kids. It turns out that he has 5 kids of his own, ages 15-23. He reminisced about the days when his kids were young and how important routine was for them. The man also talked about how much energy it took. But, then he commented that he wouldn’t trade it for anything. God used this man in line behind me at Wendy’s to remind me what a joy parenting can be. And also what a privilege it is to be a parent. I felt refreshed and encouraged from our conversation.

An unexpected gift

The time for me to order my food was next. After I rattled off my order for our family of 6, the cashier had a strange look on her face. She looked confused and asked, “What did you say?” The cashier wasn’t talking to me but the man behind me. He said to her “Tell them it’s free.” Wait, what? I finally understood what this man was doing. He was telling the cashier that he would pay for our meal. I was floored. This man had just poured encouragement into me and now he was doing more than that. He was heaping another blessing upon that. I turned around and said, “Thank you but you didn’t have to.” He responded, “Don’t take away my blessing.”

Don’t take away my blessing

At that moment, I was challenged. How many times have I taken away someone else’s blessing and said: “You don’t have to do that?” I need to learn to the power of a simple “Thank you!” and receive the blessing and gift that this person (and ultimately God) has given me with a spirit of humility and gratefulness. I know I have a lot to learn in this area. How about you? Will you commit with me to just say a simple Thank You? Will you accept the blessings God wants to give you?