Unleash the Power of Thanksgiving -

That’s right and I mean it too…there is power in giving thanks. You can and should unleash the power of thanksgiving!

And I’m not referring to the big fancy, elaborate “thank you” either. No, the simple two words “thank you” connected to a sincere heart has life changing power.

We are wowed with the grand scale hooplas celebrating someone’s accomplishment or life time achievements, but there is more power in a simple “thank you” than the greatest fanfare in the world. No, really!

Giving Thanks has the Power to Make You Happier.

Research has determined “That if you write down 5 things a day you are grateful for? you feel 25% happier.”

Giving Thanks has the Power to Clear Your Vision

Complaining and comparison will cause an avalanche of pain to cave in on you. But, if you will give thanks instead, you’ll see how blessed you are. Even if you’re in the middle of a difficult situation, even in times of loss, if you begin to give thanks your vision will clear and you’ll see how abundant your blessings really are.

Giving Thanks Prepares Your Heart to Receive Joy

Have you ever noticed how miserable complaining, negitive people seem to be? Have you ever noticed how completely joyless they are?

Offense hoarders. Anger hoarders. There’s no room for joy in that kind of hoarder’s heart.

But, thankfulness is a God given broom and trash can for removing all the trash that can clutter and fill a person’s heart.

Giving Thanks has the power to Encourage

In Pat Williams book, Extreme Dreams Depend on Teams, he tells the story of a winning ball player choking back tears as he recounted the story of his coach saying “thank you” after a winning play. The coach said “thank you”. Nothing more, just thank you, yet 45 years later he’s still touched by the words as he remembers them.

Giving Thanks has the Power to Enlighten.

Sometimes people don’t see their gifts and talents as acurately as someone else. When you express your gratitude for what they’ve done it helps them recognize their gifts more clearly.

Giving Thanks Has the Power to Empower

Your “thank you” can empower a person to accomplish more, to achieve bigger things, to go the extra mile.

Giving Thanks Connects Us

Community is vital for so many reasons. When you thank someone, it creates a value added connection to that person.

Some pointers.

Don’t be stingy with your thankfulness. Say it often. Say it to older people and younger people, even children. Say it to people you pay and people that serve you without pay. Say it in expected places and unexpected places.
Smile when you say it.
Look them in the eye.
Mean it. Connect your thanks to an attitude of gratitude. (IF you don’t have a heart of gratitude, REPENT and then start developing one.)

Thankfulness needs to be shown not only to people, but to God.

So how do you begin?

Stop and see. Who do you treasure? Who has touched your life? Who has inspired you? What do you love? Where did it come from? What brings you joy? I know you’re busy, but until you train yourself to notice, you’ll never see it.
Think about one of those questions. Feel the joy of that gift, the joy of that act of kindness as you reflect on it.
As I linger on them, as I connect with that joy, I express my heartfelt thankfulness to God because He is the ultimate giver of every good gift. (James 1:17) I express from that deep place in my heart my gratitude to God.
Then give thanks to the person. A note. A text. A call. A card. A touch.