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It’s Not Just Semantics
I’m not a big fan of the phrase “I’m sorry.” It just rolls off the tongue too easily. It may be something you say when you accidently step on someone’s foot, but it just doesn’t seem sufficient when you’ve wronged someone for personal benefit. In our family a meaningful apology must have three parts: 1) “I was wrong for…” 2) “I should have…” and 3) “Will you forgive me?” Having to ask for forgiveness is much more meaningful than simply expressing to someone how you feel (“I’m sorry”). It’s also a lot more difficult for an 8 year old to fake sincerity with such an intentional approach to apologizing to his sister! “I’m sorry” is very different than “Will you forgive me?” It’s not just semantics – it’s perspective altering.
I wonder how altered our perspective might be this Thanksgiving with a simple addition to the phrase “I’m grateful for…” 1st Chronicles 16:8 tells us to give thanks to the Lord by calling on his name and to make known among the nations what He has done. This Thanksgiving, rather than “I’m grateful for…” I’m going to boldly state, “I’m grateful to God for…” Might it “make known among the nations” (I am in Kenya, after all) who exactly has blessed me with what I am grateful for? Might it remind me as well? We tell our kids, “We are grateful God has given you to us.” Would they hear something different if we said, “We are grateful to God that He gave you to us”? Would it shift the focus from us, what we have and don’t have, to Him who we do have by grace and grace alone? It may be a small change, but it’s not just semantics! It is a purposeful acknowledgment of the living God who has given us Jesus, someone to be most grateful for.
You are so right, I am thankful to God and don’t tell others often enough about what He has done,. God has blessed in so many ways. I am grateful to God for family, friends, and a church that loves the world enough to send groups to tell others about Jesus. I am grateful to God that you have taken the time and money to be away on this holiday.
Love this! Thanks for giving me a new technique to use with my kids, and more importantly, a new way to praise God. I can intentionally give him the credit for all that I am grateful for, because I know that all I have comes from him! I’m grateful to God that you and Mara are on this trip and that our church has an entire team there. I’m grateful to God that Rob has engineered relationships with the Kenyan people, not just service projects. I’m grateful to God that I got to go last year (and I can’t wait to go again!) Thanks for sharing this. What a great way to start my Thanksgiving Day!
Thank you Tina~ We are grateful to God for you and your family! Your words are encouraging and wonderfully welcome this Thanksgiving day! We are praying for you, Mara and the whole team serving this day in Kenya! Happy Thanksgiving to you!