The story of the Seven Years Late Thank You note began,
obviously, seven years ago. A couple decided they wanted to invite their
neighborhood to supper on a Monday evening and introduce them to the Gospel.
Feeling less confident about the Scriptural part they invited me and my wife to
handle that portion of the evening. Their written invitations to the neighbors
clearly indicated there would be spiritual discussion. Amazingly, about 20
people showed up and ultimately committed to a six week study. The neighbors
may have showed up for the food, but they ended up with a different food that
brought them back for more.
Having no knowledge of the neighbors or their walks in life, I
prayed long and hard for the Lord to reveal the right Scripture passage for this
gathering on the first night. I felt drawn to Joshua 1:9 ___ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be
terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you
wherever you go.
After I shared that passage, one couple opened up and related,
through teary words, how their 14 year-old daughter had died from an asthma
attack and the Joshua verse was her favorite passage and her daily meditation.
Their testimony spoke to each one in the group ____ be strong and courageous as
we confront any hurdle in life.
The group was an overwhelming success. At the close of the
six-week study the host family wrote me a thank you note, put it aside and
forgot to mail it … until seven years later. My friend said she had found the
note in a drawer between some papers and decided to mail it anyway as it would
provide an opportunity to once again praise God for his faithfulness.
Just as Joshua 1:9 spoke to the group attendees … the thank
you arriving seven years later spoke to my spirit. There are always some days
God has to send a faithful witness or a blessing from left field to remind us
to be strong, courageous, and know he will always be with us. The
seven-year-late thank you note did just that for me.
Sometimes rules need to be put aside. Most people would not
dream of sending a thank you note seven years after the fact. But I’m glad my
friend did, because that’s exactly what God knew I needed the day it arrived.
It really does not matter how we say thank you ___ whether it
be Facebook, an old fashioned push-button telephone, snail mail, smart phone or
texts full of grammar errors and misspelled words. And it really doesn’t matter
when we say thank you. Emily Post may say we have X amount of time to say thank
you. I say, “Forget it! Just do it!”
It is far better to say thank you, regardless of the timing,
than to not say thank you at all.
Here’s a suggestion: Think about someone you should thank for
any reason ___ a gift, an act of kindness, being a friend or close family
member. Call, write, text and say thanks for being part of your life. If you’re
reminded about lateness or other set of rules, acknowledge it and smile through
it, because you’ve already done the most important part ___ you said thank you.
Then trust the Lord because you have no idea what blessing God has in store for
the recipient of your gratitude.
Robert Parlante
January 2019
