Year Round Gratitude

In A Second Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul", Rev. John R. Ramsey tells how a certain person provided him with a rose boutonniere for his lapel every Sunday. At first he really appreciated it, but then it became sort of routine. The one Sunday it became very special.

As he was leaving the Sunday service a young boy walked up to the preacher and said, "Sir, what are going to do with your flower?" at first the preacher didn't know what the boy was talking about. When it sank in, he pointed to the rose on his lapel and asked the boy, "Do you mean this?"

The boy answered, "Yes sir. If you're just going to throw it away, I would like to have it."

The preacher smiled and told him he could have the flower then casually asked what he was going to do with it. The boy, who was about 10 years old, looked up at the preacher and said, "I'm going to give it to my granny. My mom and dad divorced last year. I was living with my mom, but she married again and wanted me to live with my dad. I lived with him for a while, but he said I couldn't stay so he sent me to live with my granny. She is so good to me. She cooks for me and takes care of me. I just wanted to give her that pretty flower for loving me."

When the little boy finished, the preacher could hardly speak. His eyes filled with tears and he knew he had been touched by God. He reached up and unpinned the rose. With the flower in his hand, he looked at the little boy and said, "Son, that is the nicest thing that I've ever heard but you can't have this flower because it's not enough. If you'll look in front of the pulpit you'll see a big bouquet of flowers. Different families buy them for the church every week. Take those flowers to your granny because she deserves the very best."

Then the boy made one last statement which Rev. Ramsey said he will always treasure. The boy said, "What a wonderful day! I asked for one flower but got a whole bouquet."

That's the thankful spirit. That's the gratitude attitude. And it's that attitude that should be guiding our giving AND our lives. Like that boy's granny, God has blessed us so much. God has been so good to us that giving shouldn't even be a question. It should just flow from us naturally - not just at Thanksgiving but all year round.