Thankfulness

Thankfulness.  It seems so cliché and so overused.  You know why?  It is the approach.  We say “thank you” a lot, and we should.  But, as Christians we should make our thankfulness standout.  I have been neighbors and friends with Suzie for years.  We have served on boards together, our children grew up together, our youngest sons are best buddies, we travel together as couples, and she is like a sister to me.  But I give her one tiny thing, she sets down and writes me a thank you note!  I appreciate it, but it is not necessary.  I, however, do the same for her.  She makes me continually grateful for her friendship. 

But let me give you my favorite example of a thankful man. 

George Herbert Walker Bush, 41^st President of the United States of America.

When he became a Christian in May of 1938 his mother gave him a Bible with the words of a poem written inside by Howard A. Walter in 1906. It was later written as a hymn called, I Would Be True in 1918 by Samuel Harlow. Here are the lines written by Mrs. Bush and I think you will find he took them to heart: 

" I would be true, for there are those who trust me; I would be pure, for there are those who care; I would be strong, for there is much to suffer; I would be brave, for there is much to dare. I would be friend of all- the foe, the friendless; I would be giving, and forget the gift. I would be humble, for I know my weakness; I would look up- and laugh- and love- and lift."

George H.W.Bush lived his life just like the words penned by his mother in the front cover of his Bible.  They meant the world to him, because she did and God did.  

His wife, Barbara, says, “He is a strong man of faith, but quiet faith. He says you don’t talk about your faith, you show your faith.”  HE DID.  Was he perfect? NOPE. Did he make a difference as President?  YES. Does he continue to make a difference because of thankfulness?  ABSOLUTELY.

      He shook the hands of doormen at every place he visited, hotels, restaurants, and even world leader’s homes and it was top news!  (Because no other president did that)  He called world leader when he just wanted to see what was going on in their lives. Not about politics or to butter them up for something he needed.  How loyal is he? In 1980 while Bush was running for the Republican Presidential nomination, his campaign ran low on money and many of the staff volunteered to work at half their pay. After he pulled out of the race, Bush wrote notes to the staff with funny sayings, thanking them and including checks for the half pay they didn't get in the last two months of his campaign. Their willingness to do that, shows how respected & loved he was. 

     Here is the note he left to Bill Clinton when he lost the Presidential race to him:   
“Dear Bill, when I walked into this office just now I felt the same sense of wonder and respect that I felt four years ago. I know you will feel that, too.  I wish you great happiness here. I never felt the loneliness some Presidents have described.  There will be very tough times, made even more difficult by criticism you may not think is fair. I’m not a very good one to give advice; but just don’t let the critics discourage you or push you off course. You will be our President when you read this note. I wish you well. I wish your family well.  Your success is now our country’s success. I am rooting for you.  Good luck,  George”

     He  wrote thank you notes to people others did not notice, but it was not just notes, his words showed Christ as well.  Such as these words to his Chief of Staff, Michael Dannenhauer, who was gay.  Michael says, “He called me into The Oval one day and looked me right in the eyes and said, ‘I asked someone if you were gay’.  He said, ‘he loved me no matter what and wanted me to be happy never embarrassed or ashamed. He did not care if anyone knew!  You know Barb loves you Michael’.  The  President teared up, and concluded, ‘I hope I have never done anything to make you feel less than a person."  That man had so much to be concerned about for the world; but at that moment what he was most concerned about was whether or not someone knew they were loved.

   My favorite note of the thousands I have read is one he wrote to his grandson, Pierce.  George H.W. Bush loved his speed boat and never let anyone drive it. He asked Pierce to move It  during a low tide and he ran into rocks.  Pierce cried.  But later found this note on his bed:  “Pierce, I remember days when I felt I could do nothing right but then the sun would come up and a bright day would embrace me. Do not worry about the boat or car incidents, you are a good man who got a bad bounce, but all is well, believe me. I hate to see you worrying in doubt. You brighten my life so forget yesterday and today's little incidents. You 'da man, and I love you. Gammy does too. Gampy”
 (Pierce had also taken Gammy’s car without asking properly)

I could tell you all that man did as President, how he finished Yale in 2 ½ years, how he was the youngest pilot in the Navy ever, how he was shot down in war and lived, or how he created the LARGEST volunteer organization in the world, how he parachuted on his 75^th,  80^th, 85^th & 90^th birthdays and wrote a note to the man that was his tandem buddy; but none of that is pertinent to the man he is.   He was consistently Christian.   
The same before all that, the same after all that. 

Dana Carvey is a comedian who made fun of Bush on Saturday Night Live. After Bush lost the election to Clinton, his staff was devastated.  He asked Dana Carvey to come to the White House to make fun of him and cheer up the staff.  Not only his political staff, but his White House staff who were in tears.  He also stays in contact with members of the White House staff he knew while he was President, including some of the butlers and gardeners. I admire this man.  But as good as he is, as consistent as he remains, as thankful as he was raised to be, he is not Jesus. He is not my guide.  He is a wonderful example of leadership in faith. If you are thankful, remember one of the stanzas in the poem: 

I would be friend of all—the foe, the friendless;

I would be giving, and forget the gift;

I would be humble, for I know my weakness;

I would look up, and laugh, and love, and lift.

It is important to be genuinely thankful to others, to write down your words, to make a phone call, whatever your gift is. I have a few people I say, “I love you” to every night.  It takes me 2 seconds and I hope they know how genuinely I mean it.

“I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,”

Ephesians 1:16