Sending God a Thank You Note

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:6-7, NIV)

I am learning that with every major milestone in life, there is one common denominator: thank you cards.

And after the birth of my daughter, Piper, we’ve gotten so many gifts from so many people that it’s hard to keep track anymore. So much so, that I decided to finally buckle down and take care of sending out thank you cards off of a very inconsistent list Sam and I started putting together once the packages started coming in from everywhere.

As I was going through a list of people at least an arms length long, something extremely obvious occurred to me. Thank you notes are considered a nice touch, if not a common courtesy. If you get a gift big or small, you thank that person for it and a thank you note sends a specific message of deep gratitude. 

But how much more has God given us? How much more does He deserve in thanks than anyone else in our lives with a material gift to give? 

I know I’m guilty of being stingy with my thanksgiving that is due the Lord, and not because I don’t want to give it, but because I am hopelessly forgetful. None of these gifts coming in to welcome my daughter would be arriving if not for the momentous blessing God first gave in bringing her into existence. After all, it was just last October that I was going to doctors appointments and taking tests concerning possible infertility worries after months of trying to get pregnant with no results. Little did I know that just six weeks later, my pregnancy tests would all come back with solid, little plus signs confirming that God heard all my prayers and made a way.

And that one large example of God’s goodness in my life is not a one-time occurrence. It is just once in a long line of major blessings God has poured out in my life, starting with the biggest one of all: the fact that the Lord made possible and extended His salvation to me.

So today’s key verse is encouraging to me; reminding me that the salvation I have received so generously is not the only kindness God has given. He didn’t decide to stop there, instead continuing to walk beside me. Every time I was in trouble or in need, He took care of me. Every time I cried out to him in grief or anguish, He either supplied the need or supplied more of Himself to prove His deep love for me. And as He continued to show me more of Himself and His love, it softened my heart to continue living by faith and allowing Him to build it up. He knows how hopelessly forgetful I am and continues to give me current and timely reasons to thank Him every day. Each trial, each challenge, each time I’ve leaned on Him, each answer to prayer, each miracle provided– they have all strengthened my faith. A faith that has never seen or experienced a trial is untested. A faith that is untested cannot stand against the schemes of the devil.

Our trials exist so that our faith can be tested and so we can see and apply what we are taught in scripture about persecution or suffering so that we can stretch and strengthen our faith to stand even more sure in our beliefs and convictions.

But when we see God’s work in our lives– when we see His goodness, faithfulness, and steadfast love for us in the fact that He comes through over and over– not only is our faith made stronger but we should be drawn to thank God as much as we are able.

If we need reasons to remind us to thank God, God has given us countless. And for me, my daughter is a living, breathing, daily reminder to thank God. Because every day, she is in front of me growing, developing, and maturing. Every day, she learns something new and changes. Every day, there is another reason staring right back at me to sing praises to the Lord for. As a newborn, every time she opened her eyes, I thanked God. As an infant, when she shows me signs that she sees me, tracks me around the room, and hears my voice, I thank God. As her small coos and grunts slowly turn to sounds and fragments which will still turn into words and full communication, there will be reasons to thank God. As she picks up her neck, which will give way to sitting, which will eventually lead to crawling and walking and running, there will be reasons to thank God.

That’s just my own life. You may not be in the specific chapter of life I’m in. Your kids may be grown as you read this. Still, there must be reasons to thank God for their lives. Thank Him that He has gotten them to this point, and that you’ve witnessed every awe-inspiring and beautiful development and milestone in their lives. Thank Him for His unending kindnesses in extending Himself to not only you, but your family. If He has seen fit to draw them near and they are saved, there is perhaps no greater gift beyond your own salvation that He would see fit to save your children.

Or maybe you don’t have children and can understand what I’m saying, but don’t fully connect with it. That’s okay. The fact is, there should be something in your life that you can point to and think, “That’s God working in my life, showing me He is good and He has strengthened my faith through the trial that thing represents to me.” It could be a pet, another family member, your career, schooling, housing, anything.

So here’s my challenge to you: Take a moment today to thank God– really praise Him– for His endless mercies in your life. Thank Him for His blood shed for you. Thank Him for the salvation He extended and brought you near to receive. Thank Him for the trials you’ve faced– and I encourage you to be specific– and how He showed Himself through them and strengthened your faith. I’ll join you in this challenge below.

Just remember: if we find it important to send thank you notes to people who give us small gifts at big milestones, we should find it all the more important to overflow with thankfulness for God and all the amazing ways He shows Himself to be a good, kind, and present God.

Hey Pops,
Thank you for every new mercy you continue to show me. Thank you for saving me by your grace through Jesus’ blood on the cross and the empty grave. Thank you that you plucked me out of my sin and showed me your goodness and faithfulness all the days of my life. My heart is full of thankfulness for my daughter– how her eyes follow her daddy as he paces around the room. How she smiles when she hears my voice after a nap. How she snuggles into my body when she’s ready to nurse, trusting me and showing me she feels safe. How her firm grip grasps shirt collars and my hair, and anything else that comes close to her. Thank you for the ability to watch her grow every day and to see you at work in her tiny body. Thank you for the testimony you gave me through her little life. You overcame anxieties over infertility and made her a possibility. You saw through my worry and made a way for me to be a mother. You gave me a daughter so that I could witness your love and goodness towards me as a fresh reminder every day. 
You are so steadfast and kind to me, the least deserving of all your endeavors. Thank you for not only forgiving my sin, but for continuing to give me your very best. You are high and mighty and deserving of all the thanks, praise, and worship I can give every day.
In Jesus’ name I pray, 
Amen.