As my son entered the house this evening from working New Year’s Day at the movie theater, he said, “Whew, that was the toughest day of work……ever.” He went on to tell us about how the theater had begun running low on some of their supplies and this one man in particular had gotten really angry and rude when he found out there were no more Milk Duds or Gummie Bears. This same man actually demanded to see the manager! As I listened to this story, I found it hard to believe that in the scheme of life anyone could ever become so upset because of something so trivial. My mind drifted to other aspects of life when people don’t get what they want (death of a loved one, unexpected illness, loss of a job). I realized that so many times in these situations the first reaction for many people is to blame God. Anger and disappointment cause people to want to lash out and blame someone else or at least file a complaint, as if that will make things better. It is so much like saying, “I want to see the manager!” On the other hand, when life goes smoothly or when Milk Duds are in stock, do these same people take time to thank God or tell the manager what a great job he is doing? Not usually.
I am determined to live this year saying “thank you” to God for all of the little blessings! I am also going to make an effort to notice and show my thanks to those around me who may normally never receive a “thank you” for the job they perform.