Open, Honest, and Thankful
Every Sunday I see Miss Katherine sitting on the second pew. Yesterday she greeted me with a smile, as she always does. As I visited with her and those who sit near her, I asked Miss Katherine if she is still driving. “Yes,” she said confidently. I hope it was okay to ask. She didn’t seem to mind. At 101 she must realize that we who love her might wonder that.
Miss Katherine was well into her 90s when I saw her walking sprightly down the side aisle one Sunday morning. “How are you?” I asked. She responded with a brief but honest comment about her body’s less-than-perfect condition. Then she added, “And thankful.” Oh, how many times have I heard Miss Katherine say that she is thankful?
In less than twenty words, she illustrated an excellent way to communicate. She was both open and positive. I have a hard time relating to people who are always and only positive. I don’t feel as if I have an invitation to share needs with them. On the opposite end of the spectrum, few of us enjoy being around people who don’t seem to have anything positive to say about their situation.
In spite of the happy images of the perfect Thanksgiving that surround us at this time of the year, almost every mama will begin the week of Thanksgiving experiencing two realities. Some things in her life are going great; other things could use some improvement — maybe a whole lot of improvement. God wants to hear our thanksgiving, and He wants us to ask for what we need, too.
Miss Katherine’s answer was in keeping with the attitude Paul told the Philippians to have when they talked to God. He told them:
Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:6