If you’re ready to boost your Thanksgiving thankfulness this year, the 30 Days of Thanks challenge is for you!
Right around this time of year, our Facebook feeds get flooded with updates and photos of things our friends are grateful for. And it’s only natural: November is a beautiful reminder to look back on the previous year and recount just how much the Father has given us.
But what if this year we took our thankfulness to the next level? What if we went from simply posting photos of stuff to actually impacting people’s lives with our gratitude?
“How can I do that?” you ask.
Simple. After thanking God for whatever it is you’re grateful for, take 2 seconds and thank the person who made it possible. Because while all good and perfect gifts come from the Father of lights, those blessings usually come through the wonderful people in our lives.
So this month, I encourage you to take your Thanksgiving thankfulness one step further. After we say “thank You” to God, let’s also turn to the person next to us and say “thank you” to them as well.
- The meal in front of you? Write a quick thank-you note to the person who made it.
- Your paycheck? Thank your employer for giving you a job.
- A quiet Sunday morning of worship? Thank the nursery workers who watch all the kids.
At first, this may seem strange, but imagine what a beautiful difference you would make in the lives of people around you if you intentionally thanked them every day. Because thankfulness multiplies and sends more thanksgivings to the throne room of God when we share our gratitude with others.
Let’s thank God first, and then let’s thank the conduits of His blessings.
Every day from November 1 to November 30, I’ll post a daily prompt on Facebook (follow OneThingAlone here) encouraging you to thank one person each day. I’d love for you to join the challenge and spread the love, too (make sure you include #30DaysOfThanks so we can share your daily thanks, too)! You can also download these #30daysofthanks prompt calendars I put together. They’ll help you thank some people you haven’t thought of in a long time!
- Thank your employer for providing a job.
- Thank the person bagging your groceries.
- Thank your pastor for leading the church and preaching the Gospel.
- Thank someone who has been kind to you this week.
- Thank your garbage collector.
- Thank someone who isn’t expecting thanks.
- Thank someone living with you (cookies are always a nice touch).
- Thank the next customer service representative you speak with.
- Thank someone who has prayed for you.
- Thank an author whose books have impacted you.
- Thank your elementary school teacher.
- Thank someone who’s been on your mind but you haven’t thanked yet.
- Thank someone who has watched out for you in the past.
- Thank a custodian for tirelessly cleaning other people’s messes.
- Thank the person who taught you to cook.
- Thank your Sunday School teacher (either yours from childhood or your kids’).
- Thank the person who first taught you how to handle your finances.
- Thank someone who has been mean to you.
- Thank your family doctor.
- Thank your neighbor for the first thing that comes to mind.
- Thank someone who doesn’t hear a lot of thanks.
- Thank the person who helped you get your first job.
- Thank an artist whose music leads you in worship.
- Thank the person who first introduced you to Jesus.
- Thank your mail delivery person.
- Thank your congress representative.
- Thank your worship leader.
- Thank a friend for being your friend.
- Thank your local police or fire department.
- Thank someone who has nurtured your faith.
Who will you say “thank you” to this month?