Choir Notes

Giving Thanks
From Music and the Spoken Word
Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell • Program 4184

With his car stalled at the side of a quiet country road, and already late for an important meeting, a man stood gazing under the hood wondering what might be wrong in the complicated maze of hoses and wires that lay before him. This was the realm of an auto mechanic, and he had no idea where to begin.

Just then an old pickup truck appeared, coming toward him on the road. In desperation, he waved down the truck and, to his delight, met a local man with just the skill he needed. Soon the trouble was found and fixed and the car was running like new.

“Thanks so much,” he said, reaching for his wallet. “Can I pay you for your trouble?”

“No, no,” replied his helper. “You just do what you can to help other people, and that will be my thanks. Just give to somebody else what I’ve given to you.”

“I’ll do it,” said the man, and he thought to himself as he drove away, “I’ll do it.”

Each of us has been helped in ways little and big throughout our lives—a bit of kindness here, a real favor there, with perhaps some life-changing assistance offered when it was most needed. Of course we are grateful for the help. We expressed our thanks and have kept good feelings for the people who rescued us from our troubles. But thanks should be more than just a feeling or a few words.

Real thanks is revealed in answering another’s call for help. Sincere gratitude is expressed by doing something to pass along the kindness. Thankfulness is truly shown by reaching out to share with others the bounty we’ve received. As the roadside mechanic explained, in both his words and his actions, the best way to say thanks is in giving.