Thank You Notes

I have some thank you notes that I need to write.
My mother is very close to me as I write them.
I learned many things from her but writing thank you notes was most important.
If someone takes the time to give you a gift, you can take the time to thank them.

I heard those words in my head then.
I hear those words in my head now.
There was a suitable time frame in which the notes were to be written.
You received your gift in time; they need to receive their thank you note in time.

To make note writing more appealing, she bought me my own stationary.
My own stationary, with my name and address imprinted on it.
My own stationary with the deckled edge.
My own stationary that came in its own fancy box.

Somehow that box of stationary made the task of note writing more official.
Note writing became more of an event instead of a chore.
The best of myself on the best paper.
My best penmanship was expected as well.

That was the problem.
My handwriting was fine but I was young.
Young hands tend to write their letters quite large.
Young hands have a hard time keeping their writing straight.

Without lines on the paper, my handwriting seemed to float.
It would start out quite straight but then seem to soar towards the upper right corner.
I would not notice it until I was all finished.
My mother would check my note before I sent it and I could see the look on her face.

Sometimes I would have to write the thank you note over.
However, if note writing was expected, she wanted it to be enjoyable.
She came up with a brilliant idea.
One that took her time to complete but helped me tremendously.

My mother took a legal size sheet of paper.
She went over each line with black marker, making a template of sorts.
She gave me a special clip.
She told me to lay my sheet of writing paper on top of the template.

As I fastened the sheet down, the black lines showed through.
I was able to write my note and be certain that my letters would not float off the page.
When I was finished, I had a beautiful thank you note written with straight lines.
There was a sense of pride in a job well done.

To this day, I am prompt with my thank you notes.
It was a lesson that I learned well.
It was a lesson that has blessed others through the years.
A simple thing that tells people how much they have blessed me.

Now on His way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As He was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met Him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When He saw them, He said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him, and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner? Then He said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11-19)

Ten leprous men.
All outcasts.
All needing to call out, “Unclean!” as they walked along in order to warn others.
Ten leprous men on whom Jesus had compassion.

They all cried out for Jesus’ mercy.
Jesus answered their plea.
Go and show yourselves to the priests.
And they did; and they were healed.

Only one was grateful.
Only one came back to thank Jesus.
The Gift was received in time.
The thank you needed to be received in time as well.

Only one man had learned that lesson.
If someone takes the time to give you the gift, you can take the time to thank them.
Someone did give an extraordinary Gift.
Only one took the time to thank Him.

I think of my mother and the way she raised me every time I read that story.
Thank you needs to be said in a timely manner.
In the case of the lepers, Jesus healed them yet His Father was thanked.
In our case it is always God that needs to be thanked.

It is always God.
God should always be the focus of our gratitude.
God’s Gift is always on time.
Our thank you should always be on time.

Our thank you may seem inadequate.
It may see to float off without direction.
We have lines to follow.
We have His stripes by which we are healed.

His stripes.
Our healing.
Our faith has made us well.
Thank you, Lord Jesus.